and possibly pass on a bit to shareholders if pushed hard enough
Not so. Shareholders are lucky to be allowed to buy Ryanair shares. They really don't have a right to any return on their investment, but in return they have the honour of allowing MOL to do as he deems fit with their money. Shareholders are nonetheless marginally better than stupid customers and certainly worthy of more respect than stupid employees.
The world looks different from where
Leo sits. Interestingly, recent days saw the passing the "Queen of Mean" (Leona Helmsley), who had a talent for contemptuous behaviour towards employees and creative accountancy (among other attributes). Her mausoleum will reportedly cost $1.4 million. But it won't really help her legacy, which was created by her behaviour. As the Daily News (NY) put it:
Every era needs a few rich people who think their money makes them better than the masses, and ... Helmsley was the poster gal for the attitude.
In any case, "The Queen of Mean" is not a nickname easily shed. If she had any hope of refurbishing her image after her prison term, it pretty much ended when she got an additional 150 hours of community service for assigning employees to take care of some of her original 750.
Having money is a manageable offense as long as you don't seem to be acting like it makes you better than those who don't.
Now I wonder if
Leo would have the slightest insight into the parallels ....