“Better than X”: Ryanair CEO mocks Elon Musk over Twitter returns

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has doubled down on his public spat with Elon Musk, using a press conference on Wednesday, January 21, to deliver fresh jabs at the billionaire while also explaining why a takeover of Europe’s biggest airline is simply not possible.

The latest round of comments follows days of online back-and-forth between both men, sparked after O’Leary ruled out using Musk’s Starlink internet service on Ryanair’s fleet of more than 600 aircraft.

That decision led to a war of words on social media, with O’Leary calling Musk an “idiot” and Musk responding by branding the airline boss an “insufferable accountant.”

Things escalated when Musk suggested he might buy Ryanair and “put someone whose actual name is Ryan in charge.” He even posted a poll on X, asking his followers to vote on the idea, with around three-quarters approving.

But speaking at the press conference, O’Leary made it clear that a takeover is off the table. European Union rules restricting foreign ownership of airlines, he said, make such a move impossible.

“If he wants to invest in Ryanair, we would think it’s a very good investment, certainly a significantly better investment than the financial returns he’s earning on X,” O’Leary said, taking another swipe at Musk’s social media platform.

O’Leary described Elon Musk’s online outburst as a “Twitter tantrum” and claimed the publicity has actually helped Ryanair’s business.

“They’re up about 2% or 3% in the last five days, which, given our volumes, is a very significant boost,” he said, referring to bookings.

Despite the noise online, investors appear unimpressed. Ryanair’s share price has barely moved throughout the feud, suggesting markets are not taking Elon Musk’s takeover suggestion seriously. Still, the episode has reminded many that Musk once asked his followers before buying what was then Twitter.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary mocks Elon Musk over Twitter returns

Beyond the personal jabs, O’Leary also used the press conference to shed light on why Ryanair rejected Starlink for onboard WiFi. He revealed that talks between both sides had been ongoing for about a year.

“I said he had held talks with Starlink for 12 months as he considered enabling onboard WiFi, but the cost was too high for Ryanair,” O’Leary explained.

According to him, both sides disagreed sharply on how many passengers would actually pay for internet access during flights.

“The Starlink people believe that 90% of our passengers would happily pay for WiFi access. Our experience, sadly, tells us we think less than 10% of our passengers would pay for this access,” he said.

This disagreement, O’Leary suggested, made the business case unattractive. Ryanair is now looking for another provider that would be willing to invest in installing the equipment itself.

“He said he was seeking a provider willing to invest in installation,” according to the comments shared at the briefing.

Last week, O’Leary had already ruled out fitting any Ryanair aircraft with Starlink equipment, citing fuel costs caused by the drag from the antenna. He estimated that the service could cost the airline as much as $250 million every year.

That earlier decision appears to be the real trigger behind the online feud. What started as a commercial disagreement quickly turned personal, playing out in public and on social media.

While Elon Musk floated the idea of buying the airline, O’Leary’s response has remained consistent. Investment might be welcome, but control is not. “If he wants to invest in Ryanair, we would think it’s a very good investment,” O’Leary said again, reinforcing the point that ownership is a different conversation entirely.

For now, the CEO seems to be enjoying the attention. The so-called “Twitter tantrum,” as he calls it, has brought extra eyeballs to the airline and, by his own admission, a noticeable bump in bookings.

As the dust settles, one thing is clear. This is no longer just about WiFi on planes. It has turned into a very public clash of egos between two outspoken business leaders, with Ryanair quietly cashing in on the free publicity.

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