With Mercedes shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to purchase a 25% stake in Manchester United, does the Silver Arrows’ leader earn more than the football club’s captain, Bruno Fernandes?
Ratcliffe owns a third of Mercedes’ F1 outfit through his company INEOS, whom he is the founder and chairman of.
His newest sporting purchase is set to be a 25% stake in Manchester Utd which will reportedly see him takeover the club’s footballing operations, for a staggering $1.5 billion.
For most this is an unimagine figure, although not for Ratcliffe, whose net worth sits at £29.3 billion, according to The Sunday Times rich list.
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Mercedes’ team leader Lewis Hamilton certainly doesn’t earn anywhere near that much, nor does Manchester Utd captain Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes only recent became the club’s captain at the start of the 2023/24 season, after English defender Harry Maguire had the position taken away from him.
Hamilton has in many ways led Mercedes since 2017, when his rivalry with Nico Rosberg ended after the German retired from Formula 1 at the conclusion of the 2016 season.
Very little separated Hamilton and Rosberg, to the point that there wasn’t really a team leader.
Given his experience and service to Mercedes, the seven-time World Champion is very much the Brackley-based team’s leader now.
Being Mercedes’ leader comes with it perks, as does being the statistical greatest F1 driver of all-time.
On his current contract, the 38-year-old earns £29 million per season, according to RacingNews365.com.
However, according to The Telegraph, the Mercedes driver’s new contract for 2024 and 2025 will see him earn a whopping £50 million a year.
His current contract is just over double the amount Fernandes earns per season, whilst Hamilton’s new deal is almost four times more.
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Fernandes earns a reported £13 million a season, according to Salarysport.com, which equates to roughly £250,000 per week.
Unsurprisingly, Hamilton’s net worth of $285 million is also considerably higher than the footballer’s, which is £51.4 million, according to Salarysport.
Hamilton’s net worth figure is as of 2022, according to Forbes, meaning it’s likely nearer the $300 million mark given his continued popularity in F1 and his increasing number of businesses.