Key facts
- Court documents claim Ben Ainslie was warned about Jim Ratcliffe's approach, stating he would 'burn your house down'.
- The warning emerged during a dispute over funding for America's Cup campaigns.
- Ineos Racing is suing Athena Racing over claims it breached a deal by refusing to return a multimillion-pound yacht.
- The dispute involves a £10 million legal row.
High Court documents reveal that Britain's most successful Olympic sailor, Sir Ben Ainslie, was allegedly warned that billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the chairman of INEOS, had a destructive approach to business. The warning, which stated Ratcliffe would 'burn your house down,' emerged during a dispute over funding for America's Cup campaigns. Sir Jim Ratcliffe had previously committed a significant sponsorship deal worth £174 million to support Ainslie's high-tech yacht, Britannia, in its quest to conquer the waves. Ineos Racing is now suing Sir Ben's Athena Racing over claims it breached a deal between the two companies by refusing to hand back a multimillion-pound yacht, escalating the dispute into a £10 million legal row.