By Trendsetter Tribune 
Elon Musk has sparked fresh controversy after suggesting he could buy budget airline Ryanair, following a heated online clash with its outspoken CEO, Michael O’Leary.
The exchange unfolded on X after Musk responded to Ryanair’s official account, declaring that O’Leary “needs to be fired” and openly asking how much it would cost to buy the airline. Musk went further by joking about installing “Ryan” as Ryanair’s leader, calling it the airline’s “destiny.”
Musk later posted a poll to his more than 230 million followers asking whether he should buy Ryanair and “restore Ryan as their rightful ruler.” The poll quickly drew hundreds of thousands of responses, with a large majority voting in favor.
The dispute traces back to O’Leary’s recent dismissal of Musk’s ideas about installing SpaceX’s Starlink Wi-Fi across Ryanair’s fleet. O’Leary argued the technology would be too expensive, add unnecessary costs per passenger, and offer little commercial benefit for a low-cost carrier. He also criticized X itself, describing the platform as deeply unpleasant.
How much would it cost to buy you?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 19, 2026
Musk fired back with personal attacks, while Ryanair leaned into its trademark irreverent social media style, posting comments that appeared to mock the tech billionaire and reignite the argument.
Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget airline by passenger numbers, is currently valued at roughly $35 billion, making any real takeover highly unlikely. Still, the public spat highlights the growing trend of high-profile corporate disputes playing out in real time on social media, blurring the line between business strategy, personal rivalry, and online spectacle.