Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary on course for E100mn bonus

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary is on track to earn a E100mn bonus after the low-cost airline’s shares hit a record high this week. Shares rose to E18.99 on Friday, bringing their gains for the year to more than 50% and underlining Ryanair’s position as by far the most valuable airline in Europe. Under a bonus scheme agreed in 2019, O’Leary can earn share options worth around E100m if the airline’s share price hits E21 for 28 days, or it reports E2.2b in annual profits after tax. The payout would be one of the biggest in corporate European history, and see O’Leary granted the options to buy 10m shares at E11.12 each. Financial analysts covering the company have an average share price target of E24 over the next 12 months, according to Bloomberg data, while the airline has forecast profit after tax of between E1.85bn to E2.05bn for the fiscal year to March. The incentive plan was originally due to run until 2024, but was extended until 2028 in December last year, when the shares were below E13. O’Leary was paid E925,000 in Ryanair’s most recent financial year, but also owns 3.9% of the company, a stake which has a market value of E907mn, according to FactSet. Low-cost rival Wizz Air has also offered its CE an eye-catching incentive plan.<br/>