Amid backlash for his ‘shirtless massage’ photo, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes took on the ire of netizens with a new LinkedIn post. In a sharp clapback to all the furor, Fernandes posted two photos. “After all the attention I got and with so much positive stuff going on decided to stay at the office,” Fernandes said in the post on the networking platform.
Lauding the special cookout session, the AirAsia boss wrote – “Allstars did a special Outdoor BBQ for me. Fresh Ikan Bakar.” He also wrote about the company’s culture and ethos. “What kept us going during Covid and what’s going to make us stronger is our amazing culture and spirit which again I saw yesterday with the tremendous support I continue to get through this rebuilding phase. We laugh, we play, we enjoy, we fight together and we win together but we are always together. Stay strong and always be positive,” the 59-yar-old wrote on LinkedIn. Many appreciated the CEO’s post. “Your positivity and resilience are inspiring,” wrote a LinkedIn user.
The aviation veteran faced intense criticism on internet for his now-deleted post in which he was seen attending the management meeting while getting a massage. Fernandes first deleted the critical replies on his post and later, deleted the LinkedIn post completely.
Having received his education at the prestigious Epsom College in Britain, Fernandes made a significant move by acquiring the budget airline AirAsia from the Malaysian government in 2001 for a sum of less than $1. In addition to his airline venture, he also became the owner of the QPR football club in west London and played a pivotal role in founding the former Caterham F1 Formula One team.
Often referred to as Malaysia’s equivalent to the renowned entrepreneur Richard Branson of Virgin fame, the 59-year-old Fernandes is not averse to engaging in attention-grabbing publicity stunts. One such memorable occasion was a wager between the two business magnates, which resulted in Branson donning a stewardess uniform and serving passengers on AirAsia flights.
