One of the biggest names in the world of business, Michael O’Leary is the Chief Executive Officer of Ryanair and he also heads up Gigginstown House Stud – one of the biggest operations in the world of horse racing betting.
The Gigginstown silks are known amongst jumps followers around the world, with racing fans recalling the likes of Don Cossack, Apple’s Jade and Tiger Roll, as well as current favourites Brighterdaysahead and Croke Park.
O’Leary has enjoyed great success on and off the track, with Ryanair growing into one of the top airline operators around. Meanwhile, the Gigginstown colours are regularly sported in the winner’s enclosure at tracks across Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Here, we look at Michael O’Leary reported wealth figures, salary estimates and how he has successfully built the Gigginstown House Stud brand to become one of the elite names in jumps racing...
How Much Is Michael O’Leary Worth?
According to Forbes, Michael O’Leary has an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion – which equates to around £846 million.
He is one of Ireland’s wealthiest business leaders and his fortune has been largely acquired from his role as CEO of Ryanair.
As a young man, O’Leary studied at Trinity College in Dublin before joining accountancy firm KPMG. Since then, his career has gone on an upward trajectory and he has played a pivotal role in transforming Ryanair into Europe’s biggest low-cost airline.
Known for his sharp thinking and brilliant wit, O’Leary has enjoyed huge success in the business world and he is a fantastic operator. His personal wealth has grown in tandem with the airline’s profitability and 2025 could be his biggest year yet.
Gigginstown Prize Money
In terms of money earned through racing, it is impossible to put an exact figure on that but the Racing Post estimates Gigginstown House Stud’s total prize money accrued in the past five years in Ireland at €6.7 million and that ranks them as one of the highest earning jumps owners around.
In fact, JP McManus – himself worth an estimated €2 billion – is perhaps the only owner in the world of jumps racing to top Gigginstown’s prize money.
Famous Gigginstown Horses
Michael O’Leary is a popular figure in the world of racing, featuring as the face of the Gigginstown House Stud name since its inception.
Over the years, Gigginstown have won the biggest races in the sport, including but not limited to the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Aintree Grand National and the Ryanair Chase.
In fact, Gigginstown have won numerous races at the Cheltenham Festival – regarded by jumps fans as the pinnacle of National Hunt racing. Here, we look at some of the most successful horses to run in the famous Gigginstown silks:
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Tiger Roll
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Don Cossack
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War Of Attrition
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Apple’s Jade
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Rule The World
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Balko Des Flos
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Road To Riches
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Sir Des Champs
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Delta Work
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Brighterdaysahead
Michael O’Leary has been there to celebrate each and every prominent winner in the Gigginstown House Stud silks and sports betting fans will have fond memories of these equine greats.
Here’s to hoping many more Gigginstown horses give O’Leary and his fellow connections more enjoyment in the future.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
