EasyJet chairman Mr Stelios Haji-Ioannou has pocketed £63.4 million by selling some of his shares.
They formed part of the placing and open offer of 26 million shares in the discount airline he founded.
By acting as underwriter to the equity fundraising, he was also attempting to dilute his holding in the carrier.
Depending on the success of the three-for-40 open offer, he planned to sell between 13 million and 18.5 million shares.
In the event, the open offer received a lukewarm 70.8 per cent take-up and Mr Haji-Ioannou, through his holding company easy Group Ltd, managed to offload 16.9 million of his own shares at 375p each, according to an advisor to the issue.
EasyJet, which has raised £93.3 million sterling from the 375p-a-share transaction, says it will use the cash to take advantage of expansion opportunities in the European short-haul airline market.
Following the offer, easy Group owns 27.6 per cent of easyJet's enlarged share capital, and the family holding totals 58.5 per cent when stakes controlled by Mr Haji-Ioannou's brother and sister are included.
PA