Elon Musk escalated his public feud with Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary on Monday, posting a poll on X asking followers whether he should buy the European budget airline and install someone named Ryan to run it.
The dispute began last week when O’Leary rejected installing Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service on Ryanair’s more than 600 aircraft, citing $200 million to $250 million in annual fuel costs from antenna drag. O’Leary called Musk an “idiot” in an interview with Irish radio station Newstalk, prompting Musk to label him an “utter idiot” and post “Fire him” on X.
“What Elon Musk knows about flight and drag would be zero,” O’Leary told Newstalk. “We have to put an aerial antenna on top of the aircraft. It would cost us about $200, $250 million a year. In other words, about an extra dollar for every passenger we fly. And the reality for us is, we can’t afford those costs.”
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Musk responded Friday by calling the idea to buy Ryanair “Good idea” after a follower suggested it. On Monday, he asked “How much would it cost to buy you?” in response to a Ryanair post, then created a poll asking whether he should “buy Ryan Air and restore Ryan as their rightful ruler,” referencing founder Tony Ryan, who established the carrier in 1984 and died in 2007.
Ryanair fired back Tuesday with a “Big ‘Idiot’ Seat Sale” offering 100,000 seats starting at approximately $20, promoting it with cartoon images of both men standing on a pedestal labeled “Big Idiots.” O’Leary announced he would “address/undress Elon Musk Twitter tantrum” at a Dublin news conference on Wednesday.
The technical part of this feud centers on fuel consumption. O’Leary cited a 2% fuel penalty from antenna weight and drag, while SpaceX engineers contend modern Starlink terminals create approximately 0.3% fuel increase. O’Leary argued passengers on Ryanair’s average one-hour flights would not pay extra for internet, making the service economically unviable.
More than two dozen airlines, including United, Qatar Airways, and Lufthansa, have adopted Starlink. Lufthansa Group recently signed an agreement to equip its entire fleet.
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But it won’t be so easy for Musk. European Union rules require airlines be majority owned by EU nationals. As a US citizen, Musk would be barred from a controlling stake without Ryanair altering its ownership structure.
The exchange drew millions of views on X, with Ryanair shares rising 2.3% during Tuesday trading to a market capitalization of approximately €30 billion ($35 billion). Tesla shares fell 3.7% to $421.14, reflecting investor concerns about Musk’s divided attention.
The spat echoes Musk’s 2017 comments about Twitter, when he responded “How much is it?” after expressing affection for the platform. He purchased Twitter for $44 billion in 2022, renamed it X, and laid off most staff, including senior executives.
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Both executives are known for provocative statements to raise their profiles without traditional advertising. O’Leary has led Ryanair since 1994, transforming it from a small Irish carrier into Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers.
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