The online feud between the world's richest man, Elon Musk, and Ryanair's CEO, Michael O’Leary, continues as Musk launches a poll on X asking if he should buy the airline.
The dispute began last week when O’Leary dismissed the idea of installing internet on Ryanair planes using Starlink satellites from SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace company. He argued that the weight and drag of the antennas would significantly increase fuel costs.
Musk responded by describing O’Leary as misinformed, prompting O’Leary to call Musk an "idiot."
On Monday, Musk replied to a Ryanair post on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a query about the price of acquiring the airline. He then launched a poll asking if he should buy Ryanair and restore "Ryan as the rightful leader."
Buy Ryan Air and restore Ryan as their rightful ruler
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 19, 2026
Musk is known for his outspoken criticism of companies and their executives, especially on social media. During his acquisition of X, he openly criticised the platform’s operations and its leadership at the time.
Ryanair, led by O’Leary, has grown into Europe’s largest low-cost airline and holds a market value of approximately €30 billion.
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