Archive · 24 Jan 2026
Musk Suggests Buying Ryanair After Feud
Two big bosses, Michael O’Leary from Ryanair and Elon Musk from SpaceX, had a public argument.
O’Leary didn’t want to put Musk’s internet service, Starlink, on Ryanair planes because it would cost too much.
Musk then joked on his social media that he might buy Ryanair to fire O’Leary.
People are talking about it, but it’s not clear if Musk is serious.
Ryanair’s stock price hasn’t changed much, and there are rules that might stop Musk from buying the airline anyway.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary refused to install SpaceX’s Starlink internet in planes, citing high costs.
Elon Musk suggested he might buy Ryanair to fire O’Leary, sparking a public feud.
O’Leary claims Starlink antennas would increase Ryanair’s annual fuel bill by $200-$250 million.
Musk has a history of following through on such threats, as seen with his acquisition of Twitter.
Ryanair’s shares remain unchanged, indicating investors are not taking the buyout seriously.
- Who
- Michael O’Leary (Ryanair CEO) and Elon Musk (SpaceX and X/Twitter CEO)
- What
- A feud over installing Starlink internet in Ryanair planes, leading to Musk suggesting he might buy Ryanair
- When
- Recent, exact date not specified
- Where
- Global, primarily involving Ryanair and SpaceX
- Why
- O’Leary claimed the cost of installing Starlink antennas was unaffordable, leading to a public exchange between the two CEOs
- Michael O’Leary
- Ryanair CEO
- Elon Musk
- SpaceX and X/Twitter CEO
- Starlink
- SpaceX's internet service
- Ryanair's Market Value
- $35 billion
- Ryanair's Annual Fuel Bill
- $5 billion
- Estimated Additional Cost
- $200-$250 million per year