Dublin, January 21, 2026: Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has called a press conference for Wednesday morning in Dublin to address recent comments from Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and owner of X. The announcement comes after a public exchange of insults on X that began over discussions about in-flight Wi-Fi technology and escalated into talk of a potential acquisition of the Irish budget airline.

Origins of the Dispute

The disagreement started last week when O'Leary dismissed the idea of equipping Ryanair's fleet with Starlink satellite internet service from Musk's SpaceX. In interviews, O'Leary cited added fuel costs from antenna drag and weight, estimating an annual impact of up to $250 million. He described Musk as knowing "zero" about aviation drag and called him an "idiot," adding he would pay no attention to comments on X. Elon Musk Trolls Ryanair on X, Considers Buying Airline and Replacing CEO Michael O’Leary With Someone Named ‘Ryan’ After X Outage Wi-Fi Taunt.

Ryanair Announces Great Idiot Sale for Elon Musk

Ryanair Calls Elon Musk 'Big Idiot'

Elon Musk Poll on Buying Ryanair

Musk responded on X by calling O'Leary an "utter idiot" and suggesting he be fired. The exchange intensified over the weekend, with Musk posting a poll asking if he should buy Ryanair and "restore Ryan as their rightful ruler," referring to the airline's late founder, Tony Ryan. Musk later asked about the cost to acquire the company and reiterated interest in placing someone named Ryan in charge.

Ryanair's Social Media Response

On Tuesday, Ryanair's official X account posted announcements quoting O'Leary. One stated that Musk "knows even less about airline ownership rules than he does about aircraft aerodynamics." The posts announced a press conference at 10:00 a.m. local time on January 21 to address Musk's "latest Twitshit" or "Twitter tantrum."

Promotional "Great Idiots" Seat Sale

In a follow-up, Ryanair launched a promotional "Great Idiots" seat sale, offering 100,000 one-way seats at €16.99, targeted at Musk "and any other idiots on X." The airline encouraged purchases "before Musk gets one," framing it as a jab tied to the ongoing spat.

EU Ownership Regulations

EU aviation regulations require airlines operating in the bloc to be majority-owned and effectively controlled by EU nationals or citizens of certain associated countries. As a U.S. citizen, Musk would face significant barriers to acquiring a controlling stake in Ryanair without changes that could affect the airline's operating licences.

Current Status

The press conference is set to take place later today in Dublin. Ryanair has used its social media presence to engage directly in the exchange, a tactic consistent with its history of bold, provocative marketing. Musk has not commented further on a purchase bid in the latest posts, though the online interaction has drawn widespread attention. Sam Altman Fires Back at Elon Musk Over ChatGPT Death Remarks; OpenAI CEO Says Tesla Autopilot Resulted in 50 Deaths and Says He Won’t Start on Grok.

No official statements from Musk or Ryanair beyond the X posts indicate any serious acquisition discussions. The feud highlights ongoing tensions between traditional aviation executives and tech leaders entering related spaces. Updates are expected following O'Leary's remarks this morning.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 21, 2026 09:47 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).