Archive · 22 Jan 2026
Ryanair Mocks Elon Musk with 'Great Idiots' Sale
Ryanair, a low-cost airline, is selling 100,000 cheap tickets to three cities.
They did this to make fun of Elon Musk, the rich man who owns Tesla.
Musk had asked if he could buy Ryanair, and the airline's boss, Michael O'Leary, said no.
They've been arguing on social media.
O'Leary says Musk doesn't know how to run an airline, and Musk called O'Leary an 'idiot'.
Ryanair is joking that Musk and other 'idiots' can buy their cheap tickets.
Even though Musk is very rich, he can't really buy Ryanair because of special rules about who can own airlines.
Ryanair offers 100,000 one-way tickets for 16.99 Euros to Basel, Birmingham, and Cologne.
The sale is a response to Elon Musk's Twitter poll about buying Ryanair.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary called Musk an 'idiot' and criticized his knowledge of airline operations.
Musk and O'Leary have been engaged in a public feud on social media.
EU and US laws make it unlikely for Musk to acquire Ryanair due to ownership restrictions.
- Who
- Ryanair and Elon Musk
- What
- Ryanair's 'Great Idiots' seat sale mocking Elon Musk
- When
- After Musk's Twitter poll about buying Ryanair
- Where
- Basel, Birmingham, Cologne
- Why
- In response to Musk's ongoing feud with Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary
Ryanair
Elon Musk
Ownership of Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair emphasizes that EU regulations prohibit non-European citizens from owning a majority stake in European airlines, making it impossible for Musk to acquire a controlling interest.
Elon Musk
Musk has suggested he might buy Ryanair, with 76.5% of respondents in his X poll supporting the idea, but acknowledges the regulatory challenges.
Starlink Installation
Ryanair
Ryanair has ruled out installing Starlink due to the high costs associated with fuel drag and low passenger demand for in-flight Wi-Fi.
Elon Musk
Musk has criticized Ryanair's decision, suggesting that the airline is misinformed and that Starlink could provide valuable internet services.
Public Feud
Ryanair
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has called Musk an 'idiot' and dismissed his suggestions, using the feud to promote a seat sale targeting 'idiots.'
Elon Musk
Musk has retaliated by calling O'Leary an 'imbecile' and an 'utter idiot,' while also proposing to buy Ryanair and replace O'Leary with someone named Ryan.
- Sale Details
- 100,000 one-way tickets for 16.99 Euros
- Destinations
- Basel, Birmingham, Cologne
- Ryanair CEO
- Michael O'Leary
- Elon Musk's Net Worth
- $681 billion
- Ryanair Market Cap
- $36 billion
- O'Leary's Ryanair Shares
- Over $1.2 billion
- EU Ownership Law
- Majority EU nationals or member states
- US Foreign Ownership Cap
- 25%
Sources
"Especially For Elon": Ryanair Roasts Musk With "Great Idiots" Sale
Elon Musk Floats Airline Boss Role for NodeJS Creator Amid Ryanair Feud and AI Coding Debate
Ryanair CEO dismisses Elon Musk's idea of buying the airline as verbal feud escalates
After Elon Musk's X Poll On "Buying Ryanair", A Reminder From Its CEO
‘Wouldn’t Be First, Certainly Won’t Be The Last’: Ryanair CEO On Elon Musk Calling Him Idiot
