Elon Musk jokes about buying Ryanair, airline fires back with ‘Great Idiots’ discount fares

Elon musk

• Elon Musk and Ryanair CEO clashed online over Starlink Wi-Fi for flights
• Ryanair's "Great Idiots Sale" promo follows Musk's joke about buying the airline.
• Experts doubt Musk will buy Ryanair due to European ownership rules.

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A playful but sharp online fight between Elon Musk and budget airline Ryanair has now turned into a marketing stunt, showing once again how social media spats can spill into real-world business moves.

The exchange began over in-flight internet. Musk has been promoting Starlink, his satellite-based broadband service, and suggested airlines should adopt it to offer faster internet to passengers while flying. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary was quick to reject the idea. He said installing Starlink equipment would increase fuel costs and that most Ryanair passengers would not be willing to pay extra for Wi-Fi in the air.

The disagreement soon became personal. O’Leary took to social media to criticise Musk, calling him an “idiot” in a post that quickly gained attention. Musk responded in typical fashion. He joked that he might buy Ryanair and fire its CEO, adding that he would put “someone named Ryan” in charge instead. The comment went viral and drew millions of views, turning a business debate into online entertainment.

Ryanair then leaned fully into the moment. The airline announced a limited-time ticket promotion called the “Great Idiots Sale.” In a cheeky post on X, Ryanair said the sale was dedicated to Musk and “other idiots on the platform.” The airline offered heavily discounted seats, turning the insult into a marketing hook and drawing fresh attention to its brand.

Musk did not back down. He replied with more criticism, saying O’Leary did not understand how planes work and repeating his view that better internet would improve flying. The back-and-forth kept social media buzzing, with users picking sides, sharing jokes, and applauding the airline for its humour or criticising both sides for turning a serious discussion into a spectacle.

Despite all the noise, experts say Musk buying Ryanair is extremely unlikely. European aviation rules require airlines to be largely owned and controlled by European entities, making any takeover by a non-European billionaire very difficult.

For now, the episode stands as another example of how online arguments between powerful figures can quickly turn into viral moments. What started as a disagreement over Wi-Fi ended up as a global talking point, complete with insults, jokes, and cheap flight tickets.