Musk takes off again: Elon’s Wi-Fi(ght) with Ryanair CEO goes viral

In what might be the quirkiest airline feud of the year, Elon Musk and Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary have taken their disagreement over in-flight Wi-Fi public, and social media is loving it.

The clash began when O’Leary dismissed Musk’s SpaceX Starlink Wi-Fi for Ryanair flights, saying the added antennas would increase fuel costs and that passengers on short-haul flights wouldn’t pay extra for internet. Musk wasn’t having it, calling O’Leary “misinformed” and warning that Ryanair risked losing customers to competitors who already offer Starlink.

Things quickly escalated from a polite disagreement to a full-blown Twitter (now X) showdown. Musk jokingly suggested if he should buy Ryanair altogether and put someone whose actual name is Ryan in charge, sparking a frenzy of memes, jokes, and viral replies.

Users named Ryan even started pitching themselves as potential CEOs, some promising discounts for all Ryans, others pledging to live-tweet every decision if Musk made them the boss.

Ryanair wasn’t shy either, and perhaps the whole deal was started by them as well. During a Twitter outage on January 16, the airline had mocked Musk with the post, “Perhaps you need Wi-Fi, @elonmusk?”, fueling an online storm that had X users speculating about a possible Musk takeover.

This isn’t Musk’s first high-profile move on the social platform. He famously purchased Twitter in 2022, turning it into the microblogging hub now called X. Musk has leveraged the platform for everything from company announcements to public spats, and the Ryanair exchange is the latest example of his “A-game” on social media.

The billionaire tech mogul, whose net worth has topped $700 billion, clearly enjoys mixing business with banter. O’Leary, meanwhile, may not have Musk’s fortune, but his bold personality, and a $116 million bonus coming in 2028, ensures he’s not easily intimidated.

Whether this feud ends with Starlink Wi-Fi in Ryanair planes or just another viral meme fest, one thing is clear: on X, Musk always finds a way to keep everyone watching. For now, he has a poll going on X, to decide about whether or not to buy the airline: