Ryanair CEO thanks Musk for sales boost: 'He can insult me every day'
Photo: Ryanair / Facebook

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary thanked SpaceX head Elon Musk for the additional publicity generated by their online spat, saying that sales have risen by two to three percent over the past five days, according to the BBC.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, O'Leary said he did not take Musk's insults seriously, noting that he is regularly teased at home by his four teenage children, as well as by many others.

"If he wants to call me an idiot, he’s not the first, and he certainly won’t be the last… But if it helps boost Ryanair’s sales, he can insult me all day, every day," said the Ryanair CEO.

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Musk had called O'Leary "insufferable" and "an idiot" after the CEO rejected the idea of using Starlink technology to provide Wi-Fi on board Ryanair flights.

Ryanair seized the conflict as a marketing opportunity. The airline launched a promotion with special tickets for "big idiots," directly referencing Musk’s words and X users.

At the press conference, O'Leary also addressed Musk’s suggestion of buying Ryanair. He noted that EU rules prevent non-European citizens (Musk was born in South Africa and lives in the US) from owning a controlling stake in a European airline, though "investments are welcome."

O'Leary said his team will travel to X's Dublin office to present Musk with a free Ryanair ticket as a thank-you for the "wonderful boost" in publicity.

He described social media as a "cesspool," but acknowledged its importance for Ryanair’s marketing. He also stated that he had no direct contact with Musk.

The quarrel began online after O'Leary refused to install Starlink satellite internet on Ryanair planes. He called Musk an "idiot" and said that providing passengers with free Wi-Fi via Starlink would not be economically viable.

O'Leary explained that installation would cause additional passenger inconvenience and increase fuel consumption. The cost of equipping all aircraft would be $200–250 million, and revenue from paid internet access would not offset these expenses.

  • Last week, after German airline Lufthansa announced it would install Starlink on its planes to provide free Wi-Fi to all passengers, O'Leary said Musk "knows nothing" about flight aerodynamics.