AirAsia Boss Seen Topless During Virtual Meeting, Draws Flak For Unprofessionalism

AirAsia Boss Tony Fernandes Posts Topless Photo Of Himself Receiving Massage During Virtual Management Meeting

AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes hasn’t been one to shy away from the spotlight or controversy, but one of his latest LinkedIn posts might have crossed the line.

On Monday (16 Oct), Mr Fernandes posted a topless photo of himself receiving a massage while attending a virtual management meeting.

Even though the accompanying caption seemingly paid tribute to the open culture at AirAsia, many netizens criticised him for his unprofessional ‘attire’ (or lack thereof).

AirAsia boss posts topless photo of himself receiving massage in Indonesia

Earlier this week, Mr Fernandes posted a topless picture of himself receiving a massage on LinkedIn.

Mr Fernandes said that he had a “stressful week” and decided to follow the advice of his Indonesian colleague by treating himself to a massage.

The 59-year-old also appeared to be attending a senior-level meeting via his tablet while a masseuse worked on his back.

“Got to love Indonesia and AirAsia culture that I can have a massage and do a management meeting”, wrote Mr Fernandes, likely referencing the open culture in his company.

The post is no longer available on his LinkedIn page at the time of this article.

Netizens have mixed feelings about topless photo

Even though his post is no longer available on LinkedIn, it has been widely reposted on social media platforms.

This user on X said he lost respect for Mr Fernandes due to his “unprofessional” conduct.

Another LinkedIn user quipped that security was involved the last time he attempted something similar at work.

There were others who were more receptive to his antics, questioning why some made it out to be such a big deal.

AirAsia boss says he didn’t mean to offend

In response to queries, Mr Fernandes told Bloomberg that he was “in pain” after getting off an 18-hour flight.

A colleague from Indonesia then advised him to get a massage.

“You can never really explain the thought process behind a post, so I deleted it,” said Mr Fernandes, adding that it wasn’t his intention to “offend anyone”.

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Featured image adapted from LinkedIn and X.