A highly publicized corporate dispute between tech billionaire Elon Musk and Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has escalated into a full-scale war of words, with the airline executive firmly rejecting Musk’s suggested takeover while acknowledging the controversy has generated unexpected business benefits.
The clash originated when O’Leary publicly declined to implement Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service across Ryanair’s fleet of over 600 aircraft, prompting the SpaceX founder to label the executive an ‘utter idiot’ in response. Musk subsequently suggested on his social media platform X that he might acquire Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers and install new leadership.
At a specially convened press conference in Dublin—promoted by Ryanair as addressing ‘Musk’s latest Twitshit’—O’Leary delivered a pointed rebuttal. While welcoming potential investment from the world’s wealthiest individual, he emphasized that European Union ownership regulations strictly prohibit foreign control of airlines, making any acquisition attempt legally impossible.
‘O’Leary challenged Musk’s technical assertions regarding Starlink’s aircraft compatibility, particularly disputing claims that the satellite antennas wouldn’t create aerodynamic drag. Ryanair estimates implementing Starlink would incur approximately $250 million annually in operational costs, including significant additional fuel expenditures.
Despite the heated exchange, O’Leary revealed the publicity has provided a substantial boost to ticket sales, with bookings increasing 2-3% over the past five days—a statistically significant uplift given Ryanair’s massive passenger volumes. The airline reported particularly strong demand for January-March travel, the final quarter of its fiscal year.
Market response remained measured, with Ryanair shares gaining 2% on Wednesday but showing minimal overall movement throughout the controversy, indicating investor skepticism regarding Musk’s takeover seriousness. The billionaire has previously used social media polls to gauge public opinion before major business decisions, including his acquisition of Twitter.
O’Leary disclosed that Ryanair had engaged in twelve months of negotiations with Starlink while evaluating onboard connectivity options. The discussions ultimately stalled due to fundamental disagreements about cost structure and projected customer adoption rates, with the companies holding vastly different expectations about passenger willingness to pay for WiFi services.