The spat between Elon Musk and Ryanair has turned even uglier, with the billionaire floating a takeover bid for the European airline after it refused to adopt Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi.
On Monday night, a few days after the airline’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, called Musk an “idiot,” the billionaire asked his followers on X whether he should acquire Ryanair, a public company; 76.5% voted yes. That came a few minutes after Musk tweeted to Ryanair, “How much would it cost to buy you?”
In another tweet, Musk wrote: “I really want to put a Ryan in charge of Ryan Air. It is your destiny,” an apparent shot at O’Leary. (The airline was originally founded by three Irishmen, including Tony Ryan and Christopher Ryan.)
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The takeover threat might be a joke, but Ryanair is hitting back. On Tuesday, the airline introduced its “Big ‘Idiot’ Seat Sale” to troll Musk and his followers. ”Don’t thank us, thank that big “IDIOT” @elonmusk,” Ryanair tweeted.
The promotion appears to be real. Ryanair’s website is featuring the deal as part of a flash sale on select flights. In addition, the airline is teasing that Ryanair’s CEO plans to hold a press conference in Dublin tomorrow to discuss “Elon Musk’s latest Twitshit.”
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The feud began when Reuters reported last week that Ryanair had ruled out using Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi, even though the satellite internet system is being widely adopted across the airline industry. O’Leary claimed the Starlink antenna for jets adds extra weight and drag, creating a “2% fuel penalty.” Ryanair also operates as an ultra-low-cost carrier, and doesn’t expect its passengers to pay for Starlink connectivity on short flights.
Musk countered that Ryanair’s CEO was “misinformed” about the fuel costs. The relatively minor disagreement then escalated after O’Leary called Musk an “idiot” in a radio station interview. “I would pay no attention whatsoever to Elon Musk; he’s an idiot. He’s very wealthy, but still an idiot,” O’Leary told Newstalk.
On Monday, Musk hit back, tweeting: “Michael O’Leary is a retarded twat who needs to be fired. Put him out to pasture! Please make sure he sees this message.”
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.