Ryanair boss nets €31.2m from sale of shares

RYANAIR boss Michael O’Leary pocketed €31.2 million yesterday after selling six million shares in the company for €39m on which he will pay €7.8m in Capital Gains Tax (CGT).

Mr O’Leary has sold off shares in five of the last six years, raising in the process, a total of €192.7m on which he has paid close to €38.54m in Capital Gains Tax. This latest deal will bring the Government’s take from Mr O’Leary’s CGT payments to almost €46.34m.

Mr O’Leary has been chief executive of Ryanair since 1994. In that 10 years he has led the transformation of the company from a small regional carrier into the most valuable airline in Europe measured by market capitalisation.