A public spat between billionaire Elon Musk and Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has escalated, with the two business titans trading insults on social media. The dispute, which began over the potential use of Musk’s Starlink satellite internet on Ryanair flights, has seen Musk joke about acquiring the budget airline and O’Leary launch a promotional “Big Idiot Seat Sale.”
The public disagreement started when O’Leary, speaking on Irish radio, stated he would “pay no attention whatsoever to Elon Musk” regarding Starlink. He argued that the necessary antennas would increase fuel drag, adding significant costs to Ryanair’s operations and that passengers wouldn’t pay for such a service. O’Leary characterized Musk as an “idiot” with “zero” knowledge of airline aerodynamics.
Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and owner of X (formerly Twitter), responded on his platform, calling O’Leary an “utter idiot” and suggesting he should be fired. This led Musk to poll his followers on X about whether he should buy Ryanair. He even mused about installing someone named “Ryan” in charge, referencing the airline’s co-founder, Tony Ryan.
In a bold marketing move, Ryanair launched a “Great Idiots Seat Sale,” specifically targeting “Elon and any other idiots on X.” The sale offered 100,000 one-way tickets for €16.99. The airline’s social media team, known for its provocative style, also created graphics depicting O’Leary hitting a cartoon Musk with a “I ❤️ Ryanair” sign.
While Musk’s talk of buying Ryanair has captured headlines, the airline’s market value is a fraction of his net worth. Furthermore, European Union regulations stipulate that airlines based in the EU must be majority-owned by EU nationals or citizens of specific European countries, making a direct acquisition by Musk highly improbable. Investors appeared unfazed, with Ryanair’s share price showing minimal movement following the news.