The escalating feud between Elon Musk and Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has taken a dramatic turn, shifting from a technical debate over Starlink antennas to a high-stakes “will-he-or-won’t-he” takeover drama.
On Saturday, January 17, 2026, the world’s richest man suggested he might simply buy the budget carrier to fire O’Leary, who had earlier labeled Musk an “utter idiot” and a “wealthy fool.”
The “Starlink” Spark
The dispute began when Michael O’Leary ruled out installing SpaceX’s Starlink internet on Ryanair’s fleet.
- O’Leary’s Claim: He alleged that Starlink antennas would cause a 2% fuel penalty due to weight and drag, costing the airline roughly $250 million annually. He dismissed Musk’s knowledge of aviation as “zero.”
- Musk’s Rebuttal: Musk countered that O’Leary was “misinformed” and that modern Starlink terminals are so low-profile that the drag impact is closer to 0.3%.
- The “Idiot” Exchange: After O’Leary called Musk’s platform X a “cesspit,” Musk posted: “Ryanair CEO is an utter idiot. Fire him.”
The Outage & The “Buyout” Threat
The feud reached a boiling point after a widespread outage on X on Friday, January 16. Ryanair’s social media team mocked Musk, posting: “Perhaps you need Wi-Fi, @elonmusk?”
Musk responded with a viral post that has sent shockwaves through the aviation and tech industries:
“Should I buy Ryan Air and put someone whose actual name is Ryan in charge?” — Elon Musk on X, January 17, 2026.
| Fact Check: Can He Buy It? | Details |
| The Price Tag | Analysts estimate a buyout with a 50% premium would cost Musk approximately $53 billion (roughly 7% of his net worth). |
| Legal Hurdle | EU law requires airlines based in the bloc to be 50% owned/controlled by EU nationals. As a US citizen, Musk would likely face a massive regulatory wall. |
| Market Reaction | On prediction market Polymarket, bettors currently place a 26% chance on Musk acquiring Ryanair by the end of 2026. |
Starlink’s Growing Aviation Grip
While Ryanair resists, the industry is moving rapidly toward Musk’s satellite solution. As of January 2026, Starlink has secured massive contracts:
- United Airlines: Currently outfitting 40 planes per month; expects full fleet coverage by the end of 2026.
- Lufthansa Group: Announced on January 13, 2026, that it will equip all 850 aircraft (including Swiss and Austrian) with Starlink.
- Qatar Airways: Completed its first Starlink-equipped Boeing 787-8 flight this month, offering speeds up to 500 Mbps.