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Elon Musk and Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary have been trading sharp insults after O’Leary dismissed SpaceX’s Starlink Wi-Fi for his airline. The feud escalated on social media, with Musk hinting at buying the budget airline and installing a new leader, while the public weighed in with laughter and speculation.
Elon Musk vs Ryanair Feud Escalates Over Starlink
The spat began when O’Leary claimed Ryanair could not install Starlink Wi-Fi due to a “two percent fuel penalty” from the extra weight and drag. Starlink engineers countered, saying the older systems caused such penalties, but newer equipment adds just 0.3% or less. Dismissing Musk outright, O’Leary told Newstalk radio:
“He is an idiot — very wealthy, but still an idiot,” calling Musk’s platform X a “cesspit.”
Musk fired back on social media, calling O’Leary “an utter idiot” and demanding the airline “Fire him.” He added that O’Leary made a “factor of 10” error on Starlink’s fuel-burn impact, insisting: “Fire this imbecile.” Ryanair seized the opportunity to mock Musk when X experienced a technical outage, replying, “perhaps you need Wi-Fi @elonmusk?”
Musk Teases Takeover and a ‘Ryan’ in Charge
The online banter quickly turned speculative as Musk hinted at taking over Ryanair. On Twitter, he asked, “How much would it cost to buy you?” and declared:
“I really want to put a Ryan in charge of Ryan Air. It is your destiny.”
Other social media users joined in, with @RyanMaue adding, “You really can’t go wrong hiring a Ryan for any job. ✈️” and @javedaslamsays predicting, “If Elon buys Ryanair, I am sure he will make this airline the number 1 airline in the world.”
Fans suggested Elon Musk make a legendary move by putting star actor Ryan Reynolds or Golden Globe Award winner Ryan Gosling in charge.
While Starlink research shows the service delivers more than 200 Mbps even on the move, Ryanair’s extra-fee business model may clash with Musk’s vision for in-flight internet. Yet the entertaining showdown has drawn global attention, leaving fans and industry watchers eager to see if Musk will follow through on this audacious move.
