Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary on Elon Musk: "I suspect he's a bigger idiot than me"

January 22, 2026

TL;DR

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary offered Elon Musk a free flight as part of a "big idiot" promotion.
The promotion was a response to public insults traded between O'Leary and Musk.
The dispute originated from O'Leary's decision not to install Starlink WiFi on Ryanair planes due to concerns about increased fuel costs from antenna weight.
Musk called O'Leary "misinformed" and an "utter idiot," while O'Leary called Musk an "idiot."
Ryanair launched a "big idiot seat sale" with 100,000 seats for 16.99 Euros.
O'Leary suggested Musk could launch a takeover bid for Ryanair but noted ownership restrictions for non-European citizens.
O'Leary also commented that investing in Ryanair would be a better financial return than Musk's returns on X.

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