Background
Michael O'Leary was born 20 March 1961, the second in a family of six, in Kanturk in County Cork.
Michael O'Leary was born 20 March 1961, the second in a family of six, in Kanturk in County Cork.
He was educated at Clongowes Wood College, County Kildare. In 1979 he began a four-year Bachelor in Economic and Social Studies programme at Trinity College Dublin. He graduated from Trinity and then worked as a trainee with Stokes Kennedy Crowley (later known as KPMG), studying the Irish tax system. He left after two years in 1985, setting up profitable newsagents in Walkinstown and Terenure, Dublin.
O'Leary was deputy chief executive of Ryanair between 1991 and 1994 and was promoted to chief executive of Ryanair in January 1994. Under O'Leary's management, Ryanair further developed the low-cost model originated by Southwest Airlines. O'Leary may have described the inauguration of the ancillary revenue movement during a 2001 interview in The Sunday Times. "The other airlines are asking how they can put up fares. We are asking how we could get rid of them."
The business model envisioned by O'Leary uses receipts from on board shopping, internet gaming, car hire and hotel bookings to replace the ticket revenue from selling airline seats. Savings are also made by negotiating discounts with airports for reduced landing fees. In many cases, regional airports have made no charges so as to secure flights that bring passengers and wealth into their area
O'Leary lives in Gigginstown House near Delvin in County Westmeath. He married Anita Farrell in 2003, and they have 4 children. He breeds Aberdeen Angus cattle and horses at his Gigginstown House Stud in County Westmeath. In 2006, his horse War of Attrition won the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
O'Leary has also been a Manchester City supporter since a young age and notably wore a Manchester City shirt when unveiling Ryanair's new destinations to and from Manchester Airport in 2011.