Musk Stirs Up Controversy with Ryanair Takeover Suggestion
Elon Musk has sparked outrage among Ryanair's stakeholders by suggesting he could buy the airline, following a heated exchange of insults with CEO Michael O'Leary. The billionaire's X platform post on Friday asked followers if they thought he should purchase Europe's largest budget airline, worth €30 billion (£26 billion). A staggering 77% of respondents agreed, three hours before the poll closed.
O'Leary had called Musk an "idiot" in a radio interview last week, when questioned about installing Starlink satellite internet on Ryanair planes. The Irish executive claimed adding antennas to the jets would result in a 2% fuel drag and an additional $200m-$250m annual kerosene bill.
Musk responded by labeling O'Leary as "misinformed" and accused him of lacking knowledge about flights. However, their public spat escalated when Musk suggested he should buy Ryanair and put someone named Ryan in charge - a thinly veiled reference to the airline's co-founder Tony Ryan, who passed away in 2007.
Ryanair's X account mocked Musk after his Twitter outage last week, asking if he needed Wi-Fi. In response, Musk asked how much it would cost to buy them.
While some have questioned whether Musk is serious about a takeover bid, movements in the airline's shares on Tuesday suggested investors were taking the idea lightly. However, the billionaire has a history of following through on threats and purchasing companies via social media.
The EU's rules regarding airline ownership pose an obstacle for Musk, as he would need to be majority-owned by EU nationals or citizens of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein to buy Ryanair. O'Leary's criticism of Musk has sparked debate about the billionaire's ability to run a successful airline, while the public is divided over the possibility of his involvement with Ryanair.
Elon Musk has sparked outrage among Ryanair's stakeholders by suggesting he could buy the airline, following a heated exchange of insults with CEO Michael O'Leary. The billionaire's X platform post on Friday asked followers if they thought he should purchase Europe's largest budget airline, worth €30 billion (£26 billion). A staggering 77% of respondents agreed, three hours before the poll closed.
O'Leary had called Musk an "idiot" in a radio interview last week, when questioned about installing Starlink satellite internet on Ryanair planes. The Irish executive claimed adding antennas to the jets would result in a 2% fuel drag and an additional $200m-$250m annual kerosene bill.
Musk responded by labeling O'Leary as "misinformed" and accused him of lacking knowledge about flights. However, their public spat escalated when Musk suggested he should buy Ryanair and put someone named Ryan in charge - a thinly veiled reference to the airline's co-founder Tony Ryan, who passed away in 2007.
Ryanair's X account mocked Musk after his Twitter outage last week, asking if he needed Wi-Fi. In response, Musk asked how much it would cost to buy them.
While some have questioned whether Musk is serious about a takeover bid, movements in the airline's shares on Tuesday suggested investors were taking the idea lightly. However, the billionaire has a history of following through on threats and purchasing companies via social media.
The EU's rules regarding airline ownership pose an obstacle for Musk, as he would need to be majority-owned by EU nationals or citizens of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein to buy Ryanair. O'Leary's criticism of Musk has sparked debate about the billionaire's ability to run a successful airline, while the public is divided over the possibility of his involvement with Ryanair.
like he'd totally make it more efficient and awesome with all that tech savvy 
but at the same time, michael o'leary has some valid points about fuel costs and whatnot 
but honestly, who cares if musk buys the airline? the real question is... would ryanair passengers even want to fly with a guy who's known for being kinda dramatic and unpredictable 
... Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, Elon Musk and Ryanair. Honestly, who knows if he's for real about buying the airline or not 
. I mean, it's kinda funny how O'Leary roasted him on radio and then he just escalated the situation... like a real-life drama movie 
. And can we talk about the EU rules though? Like, don't get me wrong, they're trying to protect airlines and all that, but come on, who doesn't love a good Elon Musk takeover attempt 
Like, 77% of ppl on his X post r all for it tho 
. O'Leary's dissin him like crazy, but ppl love a good underdog story 
. Musk's got a history of followin through on his wild ideas, so idk what 2 think 
. On one hand, he'd bring Starlink to the skies and revolutionize air travel 
. On the other, EU rules might be too strict 
. Guess only time'll tell if Musk's got the skills 2 run a successful airline 
.
I'm no expert, but buying an airline seems like such a huge undertaking. And €30 billion is a crazy amount of cash. What's next, Elon going to buy the whole European economy? 
It's like they're trying to outdo each other in some sort of bizarre game of airline one-upmanship. And 77% of people on Twitter think Musk should buy Ryanair? That's wild! I'm not sure what's more concerning, the fact that Musk is actually considering it or that O'Leary was so harsh in his insults 
. It's like he's trying to make a point about the airline industry, but really he's just making a fool of himself. And now investors are taking it lightly? That's not good... this could all end badly for Ryanair and Musk if things don't play out right 
