Скачать или смотреть Is Elon Musk Planning to Buy Ryanair After Being Called an “Idiot”?

In January 2026, tech billionaire Elon Musk and Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary found themselves in one of the most unusual corporate feuds of the year — a clash that extended from technical disagreement into social media theater and even takeover talk.

The dispute began when O’Leary dismissed the idea of installing Starlink satellite internet — a SpaceX-owned service — on Ryanair’s fleet of over 650 aircraft. Citing a potentially high fuel cost due to antenna drag, he emphasized that Ryanair’s low-fare model would struggle to sustain such expenses. O’Leary went further in a public interview, calling Musk a “very wealthy idiot,” a comment that quickly ignited online backlash and rapid escalation.

Musk responded on his social platform X (formerly Twitter), labelling O’Leary “misinformed” and later calling him an “utter idiot” and “imbecile.” In a characteristic blend of jest and provocation, Musk then posted a poll to his millions of followers asking if he should buy Ryanair and “put someone whose actual name is Ryan in charge.” The playful idea gained significant engagement, with a large majority of respondents voting affirmatively.