Ryanair CEO Dismisses Elon Musk's Buyout Talk Amid Starlink Spat

LEAD: Michael O'Leary, Ryanair chief executive, on Wednesday in Dublin dismissed Elon Musk's suggestion he buy Ryanair and told Newstalk radio "I would pay no attention whatsoever to Elon Musk, he's an idiot," according to his remarks to reporters and the radio interview.

CONTEXT: The spat began after O'Leary said on Jan. 14 that Ryanair had ruled out installing SpaceX's Starlink satellite WiFi because about 12 months of talks showed two antennas per fuselage would add roughly 2% aerodynamic drag and raise fuel costs by about $200 million, producing an overall annual cost of about $250 million, according to his statements.

RESPONSE: Elon Musk replied on X by calling Michael O'Leary an "utter idiot" and an "imbecile," posting a poll that showed 76.5% support for buying Ryanair, while O'Leary said non‑European citizens cannot own a majority stake in European airlines but that Ryanair would welcome investment, according to his remarks and Musk's posts on X.

SCALE: O'Leary said the $200–$250 million annual cost estimate applies across Ryanair's fleet of 643 aircraft and that fewer than 5% of passengers on the airline's average 1 hour 15 minute short‑haul flights would pay extra for onboard internet, figures he cited to justify rejecting Starlink.

FORWARD: Ryanair said it is continuing talks with other telecommunications providers including Amazon's Kuiper to find lower‑cost onboard internet options and has launched a "Big Idiot Seat Sale" promotion amid the feud, while Musk has not made a formal offer and EU rules bar a non‑EU majority buyer, according to company comments and public records.