Elon Musk jokes about buying Ryanair as airline launches ‘Great Idiots’ fare sale

A public exchange between Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk and low-cost airline Ryanair has escalated into a marketing exercise, underscoring how social media spats can quickly translate into real-world brand activity.

The episode began with a debate over in-flight internet connectivity. Musk, who has been promoting his satellite broadband service Starlink, suggested airlines should adopt the technology to offer faster internet access to passengers while flying. Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary pushed back on the idea, stating that installing Starlink equipment would add to fuel costs and that most of the airline’s passengers would be unwilling to pay extra for in-flight Wi-Fi.

The disagreement intensified on social media, where O’Leary criticised Musk in a post, calling him an idiot. Musk responded by joking that he might buy Ryanair and remove its chief executive, adding that he would appoint someone named Ryan to run the airline instead. The post went viral, attracting millions of views and transforming a business disagreement into online spectacle.

Don’t thank us, thank that big “IDIOT” @elonmusk ????

Sale now on????https://t.co/0c6IvsKyyB pic.twitter.com/JAxRNzaYTa

— Ryanair (@Ryanair) January 20, 2026

Ryanair subsequently capitalised on the attention by announcing a limited-time fare promotion titled the Great Idiots Sale. In a post on X, the airline said the sale was dedicated to Musk and other idiots on the platform, offering heavily discounted seats and using the exchange as a marketing hook to drive engagement.

Musk continued the exchange by criticising O’Leary’s understanding of aviation and reiterating his view that improved internet connectivity would enhance the flying experience. The back-and-forth sustained high engagement online, with users sharing memes, taking sides and reacting to the airline’s promotional response.

Despite the attention, industry observers note that a Ryanair acquisition by Musk is highly unlikely, given European aviation regulations that require airlines to be majority owned and controlled by European entities, posing significant barriers to a takeover by a non-European investor.

The episode highlights how digital confrontations between high-profile figures can rapidly evolve into viral moments, with a dispute over in-flight Wi-Fi culminating in insults, jokes and discounted airline tickets.