Elon Musk suggests buying Ryanair in an X poll, escalating a public spat with CEO Michael O’Leary over Starlink internet on flights.
DUBLIN: Elon Musk has polled his followers on social media platform X about buying Ryanair. This escalates a public clash with the airline’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, over using Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system onboard.
By late Tuesday, Ryanair had not responded to a request for comment on the poll posted Monday. The poll had garnered more than 900,000 participants.
Musk, who heads Starlink, has suggested for days he might buy Europe’s largest airline. He has also called for O’Leary’s firing, describing him as “a real idiot”.
The feud began after O’Leary gave an interview to Irish radio station Newstalk. He ruled out using Starlink to equip his fleet with wifi, estimating it would cost up to $250 million a year.
O’Leary said the aerial antennae would increase drag on planes and burn more fuel. He added that Ryanair’s passengers would not want to pay for the internet service.
“What Elon Musk knows about flights and drag would be zero … I frankly wouldn’t pay any attention to anything Elon Musk puts on that cesspit of his called X,” O’Leary said.
“He’s an idiot; very rich, but still an idiot,” he added.
Ryanair’s market capitalisation stands at nearly EUR30 billion ($35 billion). European regulations require that an EU-based airline be majority-owned by EU nationals.
Elon Musk spent $44 billion to buy Twitter in 2022, later renaming it X.
