Meet the airline heiress who inherited part of a $1.17b fortune — but still flies budget
SHE inherited a massive family fortune, but this 33-year-old is determined not to be a “stereotypical heiress”.
HEIRESS Danielle Ryan, whose grandfather founded the Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair, has revealed she still flies budget despite her vast fortune.
Ms Ryan, 33, inherited her family fortune when she was only 24, but instead of becoming a “stereotypical heiress” she became a business woman, The Sun reports.
The mother-of-two is the granddaughter of Ryanair founder Tony Ryan and inherited a large sum after her father, Cathal, died 10 years ago.
Alongside her three siblings and father’s two younger brothers, the family inherited approximately £682 million (A$1.17 billion) — placing them at 19th on this year’s Sunday Times Rich List for Ireland.
The multi-millionaire — who married former barrister Richard Bourke in 2012 — still travels Ryanair. She described it to Times2 as “an incredible airline” that she flies on “loads”, but otherwise has nothing to do with.
And instead of luxurious travel photos or super glamorous snaps of a lavish lifestyle, Ms Ryan’s Instagram feed is mostly filled with pictures of contemporary art.
She told Times2: “What do these heiresses do? Sit on boats? You’d get pretty bored.”
Ms Ryan, who was born in Dublin in 1983 to an Irish pilot and a Sri Lankan-German air hostess, remains down to earth with her travel choices.
Her latest project includes a collection of five pocket-sized city travel guides aimed at travellers of all budgets. The series is called The Considered Guides.
Ms Ryan even adds that a particular hostel in Lisbon is “better than any of the five stars”.
Growing up there was no divide between business and family life, Ms Ryan said, adding “something was always happening” but she thought her family “loved it”.
With the Belle of the Ball @tearneck last night #luckiestmanonearth pic.twitter.com/DlGNnWPbkU
— Richard Bourke (@RichardDBourke) July 10, 2015
She said she was aware her family was “unusual” and they were reminded of it daily.
But she said she was always made aware that any money being earned was through hard work and dedication.
“The last thing we were allowed to be was spoiled,” she said.
Ms Ryan’s grandfather Tony was the son of a train driver who had begun his climb through the flying industry as a baggage handler but went on to become Ireland’s seventh richest person by the time of his death in 2007.
Ms Ryan, who currently lives in Beverly Hills, now heads up a luxury goods empire she founded four years ago.
The company, called Roads, has three divisions: fragrances, publishing and filmmaking — something that is close to Ms Ryan’s heart.
She studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London and established The Lir — the National Academy of Dramatic Art in partnership with Trinity College Dublin and RADA.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.
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