EasyJet pioneer Stelios Haji-Ioannou has announced he is to leave the no-frills airline to focus on other projects in his “Easy” empire.
“I am a serial entrepreneur,” says the flamboyant multi-millionaire. “That is what I like doing at heart. The history of the City is littered with entrepreneurs who hold on to the creations for too long.” The 35-year-old started the business in 1995 with two leased Boeing jets and a £5 million loan from his wealthy father, building the cheap-seat airline into a £650 million empire.
“I feel good about it,” he said of his departure yesterday. “I’ve built something and now it’s time to move on.” Next up for the Anglo-Greek tycoon, whose other business projects include everything from car rentals to internet cafes, are 20p EasyCinemas, and EasyDorm, a budget hostel with beds starting at £5 a night.
Stelios, who still owns nearly one-third of EasyJet, denied that investor dissatisfaction was behind his choice to step down. “It is part of a natural evolution,” he says. “I am doing it voluntarily.”
The former EasyJet exec will be replaced in the post by Sir Colin Chandler, a long-time fixture on the London financial scene. The 62-year-old has in the past held a series of executive roles with aerospace and defence companies.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
