Former Ryanair executive sells share options for almost €5.8m

Michael Cawley sold 385,000 shares at €8.56 a share and 815,000 shares at €8.29 each

Ryanair’s former deputy chief executive Michael Cawley earned just under €5.8 million this week by exercising one million share options in the airline and selling them on at much higher prices. A stock exchange announcement from Ryanair yesterday detailed the share transactions by Mr Cawley, who is now a non-executive director of the airline. It states that Mr Cawley paid €2.56 per share to exercise his options on Thursday and Friday of this week. He then sold 385,000 shares at €8.56 a share and 815,000 shares at €8.29 a piece on the same days.

Mr Cawley continues to own 615,588 shares in Ryanair, according to the stock market filing.

Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock is Business Editor of The Irish Times