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Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has sparked fresh controversy after suggesting he could buy Europe’s largest low-cost airline, Ryanair, amid an escalating public spat with its outspoken chief executive, Michael O’Leary.
The clash began last week when O’Leary was asked whether Ryanair would consider installing Musk’s Starlink satellite internet on its aircraft, following similar moves by airlines such as Lufthansa and British Airways.
O’Leary quickly dismissed the idea, arguing that fitting Starlink antennas would increase aircraft drag by about two per cent and add between $200 million and $250 million to Ryanair’s annual fuel costs.
Musk Fires Back
Musk responded on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), describing O’Leary’s claims as “misinformed.” What followed was a heated exchange in which both men traded barbs, with the Tesla and SpaceX chief even suggesting that O’Leary should be fired.
The feud took a dramatic turn on Friday when Musk asked his followers whether he should buy Ryanair, which is valued at roughly €30 billion.
“Should I buy Ryan Air and put someone whose actual name is Ryan in charge?” Musk wrote. He later followed up with a poll asking whether he should “restore Ryan as their rightful ruler.”
More than 75 per cent of nearly 900,000 respondents voted in favour before the poll closed. Ryanair was co-founded in 1984 by Irish billionaire Tony Ryan, who died in 2007.
Ryanair Joins the Banter
Ryanair’s official X account also weighed in, mocking Musk during a recent outage on X in the United States by posting:
“Perhaps you need Wi-Fi #elonmusk?”
Musk replied shortly after:
“How much would it cost to buy you?”
Market Reaction and Regulatory Hurdles
Despite the online drama, investors appeared unimpressed. According to The Guardian, Ryanair shares closed nearly one per cent lower on Tuesday, suggesting markets were not taking the takeover talk seriously.
Any potential acquisition would also face significant regulatory barriers. European Union rules require airlines based in the bloc to be majority-owned by EU nationals or citizens of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. This could complicate matters for Musk, who was born in South Africa and is now a US citizen.
O’Leary Doubles Down
The row initially flared after O’Leary told Irish radio station Newstalk that he would ignore Musk’s views on aviation technology.
“He’s an idiot. Very wealthy, but he’s still an idiot,” O’Leary said, adding that Musk knew “zero” about aircraft drag.
He also argued that passengers would not be willing to pay for in-flight internet services.
“If it’s free, they’ll use it. But they won’t pay one euro each,” he said, adding that he was “thankfully” too old to be on social media.
