Ryanair’s CEO O’Leary accounts for majority, with stock and options worth over €1.4bn
But the figure is heavily skewed by the aviation industry, and in particular by one high-profile veteran of the business.
Ryanair group chief executive Michael O’Leary is now sitting on shares and options currently worth more than €1.4bn after shares in the airline jumped 53pc this year.
Gus Kelly, the chief executive of Dublin-based AerCap, the world’s biggest aircraft leasing company, has seen the value of his stake in the business hit about $722m (€614m).
Shares in the company, listed in New York, have risen 51pc this year.
AerCap has been boosted by a global shortage of aircraft due to continuing issues at planemakers Boeing and Airbus. That shortage is predicted to persist until at least 2030.
That has hardened aircraft lease rates, underpinning the financial performance of the world’s biggest aircraft lessors, most of which are based in Ireland.
Mr Kelly owns about 2.8pc of AerCap, which as of this week has a market capitalisation of $25.8bn. During 2025, he also acquired and sold millions of euros worth of shares. His holding is a mixture of directly-held shares and restricted stock units that include options.
At Ryanair, Mr O’Leary saw his shareholding in the airline group dip below 4pc during 2025, to 3.98pc.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary. Photo: Getty
During the summer, he sold about €24m worth of shares in the company.
But his remaining stake is valued at €1.22bn. On top of that, he qualified this year for a bonus that at the current share price would yield about a €190m paper profit when it crystalises in 2028.
This year has seen Ireland’s biggest company, CRH, edge towards a $100bn valuation. It would be the first Irish company to achieve that milestone.
Its current market capitalisation is $86.2bn, with its shares having risen 39pc this year. Its primary listing is in New York, with the company generating a majority of its earnings in the United States.
Chief executive Jim Mintern, who assumed the role in January this year, owns a total of about 65,417 shares in the building materials giant. That includes almost 30,000 shares that are actually options or potential options. The total number is valued at $8.3m.
Jim Mintern of CRH
In November, CRH reported record third-quarter results. It expects to deliver adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) of up to $7.7bn for 2025.
But it hasn’t been smooth sailing for all of Ireland’s biggest companies, despite the strong global market backdrop.
Paddy Power and FanDuel owner Flutter Entertainment – which also has its primary listing in New York – has seen its shares decline 14pc in 2025.
In the past month, they have advanced 10pc, however.
Chief executive Peter Jackson’s directly-held shares in the gambling group are worth $7m. However, he was paid a total of $22.1m last year, which included a $19.6m in equity awards.
Flutter Entertainment Plc CEO Peter Jackson
The decline in Flutter’s shares has come despite a solid third-quarter performance, but challenges that it faced included unfavourable sports results in the US and the UK’s plan to hike remote online gaming duty.
Tony Smurfit, the chief executive of global packaging giant Smurfit Westrock, has also seen sentiment towards the company’s US-listed shares dented during 2025. They have declined 28pc in 2025, with his total holding in the company now valued at $62m.
Smurfit Westrock was created from the merger between Smurfit Kappa and Westrock in 2024.
In October, its shares plunged as much as 9pc in a single session after it lowered its earnings guidance for 2025.
The world’s largest cardboard box maker said it expected its adjusted core Ebitda to be between $4.9bn and $5.1bn, compared to a previous expected range of between $5bn and $5.2bn.
Colin Hunt, CEO of AIB. Photo: Steve Humphreys
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – Tuesday, Dec 30
At AIB, chief executive Colin Hunt is sitting on 64,322 shares, currently worth just under €600,000.
The bank’s shares have climbed 73pc this year, giving it a market capitalisation of €19.7bn. During the year, the Government sold its remaining stake in the business, which it had bailed out during the financial crash.
Shares in Bank of Ireland have jumped 87pc this year. CEO Myles O’Grady owns about 55,000 shares in the group, having acquired additional shares during 2025. Those shares are now worth just under €900,000.
Shares in Cavan-headquartered insulation giant Kingspan have edged ahead just 6pc this year, giving it a market capitalisation of €13.4bn. It plans to spin off its Advnsys unit early in 2026, floating the business in Amsterdam.
CEO Gene Murtagh owns just over one million shares in Kingspan, which are currently worth €80m.
At London-listed DCC, which has shifted its sole focus to energy, shares have declined 8pc this year. Chief executive Donal Murphy’s shares in the group are worth £8.3m (€9.5m).
Kerry Group saw its shares tumble 17pc in 2025. Its CEO, Ed Scanlon, has just over 86,000 shares, almost equally split between directly-owned shares and options. They are valued at €6.6m.