“Utter Idiot” vs. “Twitshit”: Musk-Ryanair Feud Escalates as Airline Boss Dismisses Takeover Threat

O’Leary says spat with Musk is boosting bookings by 3%, calls Starlink cost “idiotic,” and cites EU rules as barrier to any buyout by the Tesla billionaire.

A public feud between two of the world’s most provocative billionaires—Elon Musk and Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary—has intensified, with the airline boss dismissing Musk’s suggestion of a takeover as legally impossible while claiming the war of words is fueling a surge in ticket sales.

The clash erupted after O’Leary publicly ruled out adopting Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service across Ryanair’s fleet of over 600 aircraft, citing prohibitive costs. Musk responded on his social media platform X by calling the Ryanair chief an “utter idiot”—a remark O’Leary addressed head-on at a press conference in Dublin on Wednesday.

“I have no problem being called an idiot,” O’Leary said, but he fired back by labeling Musk’s claim that Starlink antennas would not create aircraft drag as “a stupid idiotic thing to say.” Ryanair estimates that adopting Starlink could cost up to $250 million annually, including added fuel expenses.

Musk recently polled his followers on whether he should buy the low-cost carrier and “put someone whose actual name is Ryan in charge”—a proposal O’Leary swiftly rejected. Under EU aviation ownership rules, non-European entities cannot control more than 49% of an EU airline, making a Musk takeover unviable.

“Mr. Musk is welcome to buy shares, but he can’t take control,” O’Leary stated, though he added that investment from the world’s richest person would be welcome.

Surprisingly, O’Leary revealed the very public spat has given Ryanair a measurable boost. Bookings have risen 2-3% in recent days, which he described as a “wonderful boost” driven by Musk’s “Twitter tantrum.”

The Ryanair CEO also detailed why talks with Starlink over in-flight WiFi collapsed after 12 months of negotiations. While Starlink projected 90% of passengers would pay for the service, Ryanair’s internal data suggested uptake would be below 10%. O’Leary emphasized that any provider would need to cover installation costs—a point of contention with Musk’s company.

Despite the online frenzy, Ryanair’s share price remained largely unmoved by the takeover speculation, closing just 2% higher on Wednesday.