Billionnaire businessman Elon Musk stirred fresh controversy on Monday after posting a poll on X about buying Ryanair airline. In the post, Musk asked users whether he should buy Ryanair and “restore Ryan as their rightful ruler.”
The poll quickly gained traction with 77% of the 6,45,000 respondents who had voted till 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday supporting the idea.
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Buy Ryan Air and restore Ryan as their rightful ruler
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— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 19, 2026
Musk did not clarify if he was serious. However, the post added to a series of public exchanges between him and Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary. On Friday, Musk called O'Leary an “utter idiot” who should be fired. The clash began after O'Leary ruled out installing Musk's Starlink internet service on Ryanair aircraft.
The feud was further fuelled on Monday after Ryanair's X account responded to a viral post asking users to name “propaganda” they did not believe in. The airline replied, “WiFi on planes.” Musk then jumped into the conversation, asking how much it would cost to buy Ryanair. The airline did not respond to his question. In a follow-up post, Musk said he wanted to put a “Ryan” in charge of Ryanair, adding that it was the airline's destiny.
He later posted a survey in a late-night X post.
How much would it cost to buy you?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 19, 2026
How The Controversy Began
The verbal duel began after O'Leary on Wednesday dismissed the idea of installing Starlink on the over 600 jets of Ryanair. He said the antenna would increase fuel costs and could cost the airline up to $250 million a year, Reuters reported.
"We don't think our passengers are willing to pay for WiFi for an average one-hour flight,” he was quoted as saying.
To this, Musk responded on X, saying O'Leary was “misinformed” and did not know how to measure Starlink's impact on fuel. Speaking to Irish radio, O'Leary responded by calling Musk an “idiot” and described X as a “cesspit.”
Later, Musk fired back on Friday, posting that O'Leary was an “utter idiot” and should be fired. When a follower suggested Musk should buy Ryanair and dismiss O'Leary himself, Musk replied: “Good idea.”
Airlines are becoming a key customer base for Starlink, which uses thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites to provide enhanced in-flight WiFi. Over two dozen airlines, including United Airlines, Qatar Airways and Lufthansa, are adopting the service, while Ryanair has rejected the idea.
If Musk is serious about buying Ryanair, he would face a major challenge. Ryanair is publicly traded, so he would need to make a hostile takeover or an acquisition offer to shareholders to gain control of the airline, according to Forbes.
Also Read: 'Money Is Just A Database': Elon Musk's Economic Take Is Going Viral Again
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