Michael O'Leary, the group chief executive of Ryanair, is set to get a €100m bonus next year - one of the biggest in European history, according to a report from The Business Insider.
Michael O'Leary has been in charge of the airline since 1994, leading it to become one of the world's top budget carriers.
Ryanair is well known for its cheap trips and extra fees, and has recovered well since the Covid pandemic. This year, Ryanair stock is up 70%, according to Markets Insider data.
That is important to note because O'Leary's potential bonus hinges on the share price. The incentive plan was originally set to expire in 2024, before it was extended last year until 2028, the FT said.
If the stock continues to rise and maintains a price of €21 for 28 consecutive days, O'Leary will earn stock options worth €100m, the FT reported.
It would come in the form of options to buy 10 million shares at €11.12 each, according to the Financial Times.
Ryanair's share price currently sits around €19. According to Bloomberg, analysts are optimistic that it will continue rise.
Data compiled by the outlet puts the average price target for Ryanair stock at €24.10. Just one of the 17 analyst estimates it compiled puts Ryanair's 12-month target below €21.
"As long as we don't do something stupid, which is a daily challenge in this industry, we will continue to wipe the floor with every other airline in Europe," Michael O'Leary told the FT earlier this year.
The Ryanair boss is paid around $2.9m a year, according to the Irish Times.
That is behind American airline bosses like United Airlines' Scott Kirby, who was paid $9.8m, and the CEO of Southwest Airlines who was most recently paid $5.3m.
O'Leary already owns more than 44 million shares in the airline, per its latest annual report, worth around $900m.
