Ryanair’s CEO is not backing down from the dispute with Elon Musk: “He’s an idiot”

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said Monday that he has no intention of reconciling with Elon Musk after the conflict that erupted between them in January over the installation of the Starlink satellite internet service on the airline’s aircraft.

Ryanair abandoned plans to install Starlink, arguing that the solution would not be profitable for the low-cost carrier, although negotiations with Musk’s company had lasted approximately a year. Musk challenged Ryanair’s calculations and said the company’s representatives were “poorly informed” about its profitability.

The exchange escalated on January 15, when O’Leary called Musk “an idiot.” The SpaceX founder responded the following day, calling him a “complete idiot” and demanding his dismissal.

In an interview with Bloomberg, O’Leary said he had “no intention” of reconciling with Musk. He explained that Ryanair turned the conflict into an advertising campaign, launching the “Big Idiot Seat Sale” promotion, with 100,000 tickets priced at £16.99 each way. According to the CEO, the dispute generated an estimated $30–40 million in free publicity, while bookings increased for two to three weeks.