- Ryanair CEO Michael OLeary will hold a press conference in Dublin Wednesday.
- Elon Musk polled 970,000 people on X about buying Ryanair, 76% voted yes.
- The Musk-OLeary feud began over Starlink WiFi installation on Ryanair planes.
Ryanair has announced that its CEO Michael O'Leary is set to hold a conference in Dublin on Wednesday after Elon Musk took a public poll asking if he should buy the Irish airline. The move is part of the wider spat between Musk and O'Leary, which began last week over Starlink installation in Ryanair.
A statement on Ryanair's X account on Tuesday evening said: "Perhaps Musk needs a break?? Ryanair is launching a Great Idiots seat sale especially for Elon and any other idiots on 'X'. Buy now before Musk gets one."
.@elonmusk pic.twitter.com/c0rHEiJrIz
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) January 20, 2026
The airline also cited the CEO's comments on the row, noting: “Musk knows even less about airline ownership rules than he does about aircraft aerodynamics.”
In a separate post, the airline used the row to promote its January sale. “Ryanair's Big Idiot Sale from £16.99,” it wrote on X. The offer included one lakh seats at the discounted price for travel between February and April.
Don't thank us, thank that big “IDIOT” @elonmusk ????
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) January 20, 2026
Sale now on????https://t.co/0c6IvsKyyB pic.twitter.com/JAxRNzaYTa
"Don't thank us, thank that big “IDIOT” Elon Musk," it said.
Earlier on Monday, Musk posted a poll on X seeking opinions on whether he should buy the airline. Nearly 9.7 lakh people took part in the poll, of which more than 76% voted in favour of the purchase.
Ryanair CEO is likely to address this move by Musk in his Wednesday's press conference. The pair are among the world's most outspoken business leaders, with Musk the world's richest man, worth about $769 billion and O'Leary heading Europe's busiest airline.
Why Musk Suggested To Buy Ryanair
The feud began after O'Leary dismissed the idea of installing Elon Musk's Starlink on the airline's fleet. Speaking last Wednesday, O'Leary said that the antenna would raise fuel costs and could cost Ryanair up to $250 million a year, Reuters reported.
He added that passengers were unlikely to pay for WiFi on an average one-hour flight. To this, Musk hit back on X, calling O'Leary misinformed.
Later, O'Leary, while speaking to an Irish radio, said that Musk was an “idiot” and described X as a “cesspit”. Musk later responded online, calling O'Leary an “utter idiot”. When a user suggested buying Ryanair, Musk replied it was a good idea.
Ryanair's social media page is known for punchy posts and mocking critics, so its involvement in the spat is not a surprise.
Last week, German airline Lufthansa announced it would install Starlink on its planes. The technology is already being rolled out by carriers including Qatar Airways and United Airlines.
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