Ryanair CEO Dismisses Musk's Buyout Suggestion as Public Feud Escalates Over Starlink Costs

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has dismissed Elon Musk's suggestion of purchasing the budget airline, citing regulatory restrictions while their public feud over Starlink installation continues to escalate. The dispute originated from O'Leary's decision to reject Musk's satellite Wi-Fi system for the airline's fleet due to cost concerns.

Regulatory Barriers to Potential Acquisition

O'Leary explained that non-European citizens cannot own majority stakes in European airlines, effectively blocking any potential takeover by Musk, who was born in South Africa and resides in the United States. However, the CEO expressed openness to investment, stating it would be "a very good investment" and "significantly better investment than the financial returns he's earning on X."

Musk had polled his followers on X about buying the airline, with 76.5% responding positively to the idea. He suggested putting "someone whose actual name is Ryan in charge" of the company.

Starlink Installation Costs Drive Initial Dispute

The conflict began when O'Leary announced that Ryanair had ruled out installing Starlink satellite Wi-Fi systems on its aircraft. After 12 months of discussions with Starlink, the airline determined the financial impact would be too significant.

O'Leary acknowledged the quality of Starlink technology, describing it as "a terrific system" that "works very well." However, he estimated that fewer than 5% of passengers would pay extra for Wi-Fi service on the airline's short-haul flights, which average approximately one hour and 15 minutes.

Public Exchange and Marketing Opportunity

The verbal sparring between the executives intensified through media statements and social media posts. O'Leary called Musk "an idiot" during an Irish radio interview, prompting Musk to respond with similar insults on his platform X, labeling the airline CEO an "utter idiot" and "imbecile."

Ryanair capitalized on the publicity by launching a seat sale featuring promotional material with a caricature of Musk. O'Leary thanked Musk for the "additional publicity" and dismissed the insults, noting that Musk would have to "join the back of a very, very, very, very long queue of people" who have criticized him.

Alternative Wi-Fi Solutions Under Consideration

Despite rejecting Starlink, Ryanair continues exploring onboard internet options with other telecommunications providers, including Amazon's upcoming Kuiper system. O'Leary emphasized that any Wi-Fi solution must "lower our costs" rather than add expenses to the airline's operations.

The CEO also addressed recent controversies surrounding Musk's AI chatbot Grok, calling social media platform X "a cesspit" and describing the generation of nonconsensual deepfake images as "frankly offensive."