Ryanair chief calls Elon Musk 'idiot;' here's why
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary called Elon Musk an "idiot" after turning down Starlink's in-flight Wi-Fi offer, saying it would cost the airline about $250 million a year (including roughly $200 million from extra fuel due to antenna drag).
Musk fired back on X, calling O'Leary an "utter idiot" and jokingly asked followers if he should buy Ryanair—most said yes, but O'Leary reminded everyone that EU rules block non-Europeans from owning most of an EU airline.
Who is Michael O'Leary?
O'Leary has led Ryanair for many years, growing it into Europe's biggest budget airline.
He brushed off Starlink's Wi-Fi as impractical, saying barely 5% of passengers would pay for it:
"Very wealthy, but he's still an idiot," and said Musk has "zero" knowledge of running an airline.
To keep things light, Ryanair even launched a playful "Great Idiots" seat sale with tickets from £16.99 and a wink at Musk in the promo.