Ryanair Shares Jump as Musk Threatens to Buy Airline and Fire CEO

TLDR

• Elon Musk called Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary an idiot after the airline refused to install Starlink internet on planes
• O’Leary rejected Starlink because the satellite receivers would cost $250 million annually in extra fuel from increased drag
• Musk posted a poll asking if he should buy Ryanair and received 77% yes votes from over 766,000 responses
• Ryanair shares rose 2.52% in after-hours trading following Musk’s posts about potentially buying the airline
• Ryanair has a market cap of $35 billion while Musk’s net worth stands at $681 billion

The public feud between Elon Musk and Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary escalated on January 20, 2026, after the airline executive rejected installing Starlink internet on the company’s planes. Musk responded by calling O’Leary an idiot and suggesting he should buy the budget airline.

The dispute started when Ryanair declined to use SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service on its aircraft fleet. O’Leary explained the decision during an interview on Irish radio station Newstalk on Friday. He said the satellite receivers would create aerodynamic drag on the planes.

According to O’Leary, installing the necessary antenna equipment would cost Ryanair approximately $250 million per year in additional fuel expenses. This would translate to about one dollar extra per passenger. He stated that passengers would not pay for internet access even though they might use it if offered for free.

Musk disputed O’Leary’s technical assessment of the situation. He claimed the Ryanair CEO was misinformed about the drag created by Starlink equipment. The Tesla and SpaceX founder fired back on his social media platform X.

O’Leary made several critical comments about Musk during the radio interview. He called Musk an idiot despite acknowledging his wealth. The Ryanair CEO also described X as a cesspit and said he would pay no attention to what Musk had to say about aviation matters.

Market Response to Acquisition Speculation

Musk posted multiple messages on X suggesting he might purchase the airline. He asked his 232.5 million followers how much it would cost to buy Ryanair. He also joked about installing someone actually named Ryan as the new CEO.

The SpaceX founder created a poll asking whether he should buy Ryanair and restore Ryan as their rightful ruler. As of the latest count, the poll received more than 29 million views. Over 766,000 people voted, with 77% supporting the acquisition idea.

Ryanair Holdings plc, RYAAY

Ryanair’s stock price responded to the social media attention. Shares rose 2.52% in after-hours trading on January 20. The airline currently has a market capitalization of $35 billion on NASDAQ.

Musk has a net worth of $681 billion, making such a purchase financially possible. He previously bought Twitter for $44 billion in 2022 and renamed it X. After that acquisition, he fired the company’s CEO and other top executives.

Social Media Battle Continues

Ryanair’s official X account joined the exchange with its own posts. The airline is known for its sarcastic social media presence. During a previous outage on X, Ryanair posted asking if Musk needed WiFi.

This comment appeared to anger Musk further. He responded by calling O’Leary names and insisting the CEO needs to be fired. Musk wrote that O’Leary knows nothing about aircraft drag.

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian commented on the situation. He noted that the timeline gets entertaining at times. Users on X began suggesting different people named Ryan to become the airline’s next CEO.

The poll asking about the Ryanair purchase will close after 24 hours. Musk has not made any formal offer to purchase the airline. The exchange remains primarily on social media as of January 20, 2026.

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