Tony Ryan
Dr. Tony Ryan (born 2 February 1936) is an Irish multi-millionaire and founder of Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA) and Ryanair. Tony Ryans main source of wealth has been Ryanair, the budget airline he set up. The company is now one of the biggest airlines in Europe and is valued at several billion euro. Tony Ryan is believed to have a personal fortune ranging between €800m and €1bn - althought the poor stock market performance of Ryanair in 2004 will have cost him. He holds honorary doctorates from several universities, including Trinity College, Dublin, the National University of Ireland and the University of Limerick.
His initial fortune came from Guinness Peat Aviation which he set up in 1975 with $50,000 - it grew to be worth $4 billion at its peak - but dramatically went out of business in 1992. Dr. Ryan made €55m from the sale of AerFi - an aircraft leasing company - in 2000. Dr Ryan lives in Monte Carlo for tax reasons, but also owns a stud farm near his home in Newmarket, Tipperary.
Tony Ryan over the years helped nurture two successful business prodigies - Denis O'Brien and Michael O'Leary - both of whom became multi-millionaires.
Further reading
- Ryanair: How a Small Irish Airline Conquered Europe by Siobhan Creaton - ISBN 1854109928: published about Ryanair's success and Tony Ryans earlier enterprises.
See Also