There’s a solution to traffic, if you’re Ryanair’s CEO

An airline CEO has revealed there is a way to skip morning rush hour – but maybe only if you’re a millionaire.

As the average person sits in morning traffic hoping to get to work on time, Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary has come up with an ingenious way to skip rush hour.

Not only leading Europe’s most popular low-cost flight service, Mr O’Leary also reportedly owns the world’s most exclusive taxi service since the early 2000s, with just one car.

A 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 9 is the exclusive motor that shuttles the wealthy Irish businessman between Ryanair’s headquarters at Dublin airport to his home in Mullingar, west of Dublin’s airport.

Mr O’Leary bought a private car, paid $4000 and equipped it with a taxi metre to legally use Dublin’s bus lanes and avoid traffic congestion for his 88km round trips.

Mr O’Leary stands by his ingenuity.

“Last time I checked this was a democratic republic,” he previously told media.

“As long as I pay my taxes I’m free to do with my money what I like.”

Irish budget airline Ryanair Chief executive Michael O'Leary has a registered taxi company with a fleet of one, for him to escape traffic congestion (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)

Mr O’Leary, 63, is one of Ireland’s wealthiest businessmen, with his last reported net worth of around 848.6 million euros – a billionaire by Australia’s standards.

Ryanair’s net profits amounted to 1.9 billion euros in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, and is one of the most profitable airlines in Europe.

Mr O’Leary may have the Midas touch, as his taxi company, Tillingdale, is not losing cash by any means, having reported nearly $1 million in profit per year.

Tillingdale also provides horse breeding services, one of Mr O’Learys most expensive side ventures.

This taxi venture is nothing new, and has been ongoing for nearly two decades, but was recently brought to attention again by social media discussions.

Commentators online have stood behind Mr O’Leary’s innovative methods to get to work on time, seemingly because he helps them travel around Europe on a budget.

“Is this the guy who let me fly from Warsaw to Paris for 27 euros?” one asked on Tik Tok.

“Let him go wherever he wants, even in an ambulance.”

His personal taxi company has recently been brought back into the spotlight on social media, with many supporting him as Ryanair brings them a cheap way to travel. (Source: Tik Tok)

However, some were outraged by the ways millionaires are able to skip the troubles ordinary people face.

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” one commented on Tik Tok.

“People like him are destroying our society/democracy piece by piece.

“If everyone who can afford that, does it, then it’s called the oligarchs lane.”

Any criticism is likely to fall on deaf ears, as Mr O’Leary has made it clear he does not care about public opinion, previously telling an interviewer “I don’t give a s***e if nobody likes me”.

Mr O’Leary defended his taxi use in 2003 to Irish public station RTE Radio host Jack Duffy, as reported to the Irish Times.

“It’s a black taxi, it’s registered in Mullingar, I’ve a PSV driver who drives it for me and if they want to amend the regulations which says I’m allowed to pick up people in Dublin I’ll be happy to pick up people in Dublin – I’ll do it a lot cheaper,” he said.

Mr O’Leary also said it was the wrong thing for people to be worried about.

“The problem appears to be that it’s all right if I rent a taxi but if I own a taxi there’s a problem,” Mr O’Leary said.

“It produces receipts as well. And if you’re in Mullingar give me a call I’d be happy to look after you.”