In a playful jab that underscores the ongoing rivalry between business titans, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary extended an offer of a complimentary flight to Elon Musk, dubbing it part of a “big idiot” promotion. This lighthearted gesture follows a series of barbed exchanges between the airline’s leader and the tech billionaire.
During a press briefing in Dublin, O’Leary quipped, “I suspect he’s a bigger idiot than me, but nevertheless, he probably thinks I am a bigger idiot than him.” His remarks came amidst a humorous yet pointed dialogue about the business decisions impacting both Ryanair and Musk’s ventures.
The spat began when O’Leary dismissed the idea of equipping Ryanair’s fleet with Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet service. Concerns centered around the additional weight of the system’s antennas, which O’Leary argued would significantly increase fuel expenses.
“It is a terrific system. It works very well,” O’Leary acknowledged. “However, installing it on aircraft would incur costs amounting to approximately $200 million to $250 million annually, factoring in installation and fuel drag expenses.”
In response to the back-and-forth, Ryanair cheekily launched a “big idiot seat sale,” offering 100,000 one-way tickets priced at 16.99 Euros. This marketing move capitalized on the public’s attention, ensuring the spat remained in the headlines.
While Starlink and Ryanair both refrained from issuing official comments, the playful yet competitive exchange highlights the dynamic interplay between aviation and technology industries as they navigate innovation and cost challenges.
“Ryanair is launching a Great idiot seat sale especially for Elon Musk and any other idiots on X,” Ryanair posted on X on Tuesday. “Buy now before Musk gets one!!!
O’Leary said Wednesday that Ryanair had explored equipping its jets with Starlink’s service, including meeting with executives from the telecom company, but ultimately rejected the idea.
After O’Leary relayed that decision last week, Musk said on social media that the airline leader was “misinformed.” O’Leary subsequently told an Irish radio station that “I would pay no attention whatsoever to Elon Musk, he’s an idiot.”
In response, Musk took to X, his social media platform, to deride O’Leary as an “utter idiot” and an “imbecile.” Musk — the world’s richest person, with a net worth of nearly $700 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index — also launched a poll jestingly asking his followers whether he should buy Ryanair “and put someone whose actual name is Ryan in charge?”
O’Leary, who has led Ryanair as CEO for more than three decades, said on Wednesday that Musk is free to launch a takeover bid for the airline, while noting that rules bar non-European citizens from owning a majority stake in a European airline.
“But if he wants to invest in Ryanair, we would think it’s a very good investment,” O’Leary said. “Certainly a significantly better investment than the financial returns he’s earning on X.”
