Elon Musk Eyes Ryanair Takeover After CEO Clash

Elon Musk has sparked speculation about acquiring Ryanair after a heated public exchange with its CEO, Michael O’Leary. The spat erupted when O’Leary dismissed installing Musk’s Starlink satellite internet on Ryanair’s fleet of over 600 aircraft, citing added fuel costs from antenna drag and low passenger demand for Wi-Fi on short-haul flights. O’Leary estimated the service could cost the airline up to $250 million annually, roughly an extra dollar per passenger, and bluntly called Musk an “idiot” in a Newstalk radio interview, urging people to ignore him despite his wealth.

Musk fired back on X, labeling O’Leary an “utter idiot” who should be fired, while defending Starlink’s efficiency. SpaceX’s VP of Starlink engineering countered O’Leary’s claims, asserting the system’s low-profile terminals cause minimal fuel impact—far less than legacy alternatives. Musk argued airlines without in-flight connectivity risk losing customers to competitors increasingly adopting Starlink, including Aer Lingus, Air France, Qatar Airways, and Lufthansa. He accused Ryanair of being misinformed about measuring drag effects, especially on brief flights.

The feud escalated further when Musk suggested Ryanair would suffer customer attrition without modern Wi-Fi. A user on X proposed Musk buy the airline to oust O’Leary, prompting Musk’s reply: “Good idea.” In a follow-up post, he quipped, “Should I buy Ryan Air and put someone whose actual name is Ryan in charge?” The tongue-in-cheek comment went viral, inspiring memes, jokes, and even responses from users named Ryan offering to step in as CEO with perks like discounts for fellow Ryans.

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The exchange gained extra traction after a recent X outage frustrated users, with Ryanair cheekily suggesting Musk “needs Wi-Fi.” Musk’s playful takeover hint aligns with his history of bold social media statements—often bluster, though occasionally leading to real action, as seen with his acquisition of Twitter (now X). Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost carrier, remains focused on cost control under O’Leary’s long tenure since 1994, showing no signs of reversing its Starlink stance.

While Musk’s remark appears largely humorous, it has fueled online buzz and even prompted betting markets like Polymarket to weigh odds on a potential bid. The episode highlights tensions between tech disruptors and traditional aviation giants as in-flight connectivity becomes a competitive edge. For now, the war of words underscores contrasting priorities: Ryanair’s relentless efficiency versus Musk’s push for universal high-speed internet access.

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