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Elon Musk Polls X Users: Should I Buy Ryanair After CEO Clash?

Elon Musk posted a poll on X asking users if he should buy Ryanair, following a heated public dispute with the airline's CEO, Michael O'Leary. The clash originated from Ryanair's rejection of installing SpaceX's Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi, citing cost and operational issues. The poll garnered massive engagement, receiving over 750,000 votes with a majority supporting the idea, though its seriousness is unclear. The exchange turned personal with insults traded, and Musk added humor by suggesting Ryanair should be run by someone named "Ryan."

Key Points: Elon Musk Polls on Buying Ryanair After CEO Feud

  • Musk polls X on buying Ryanair
  • Feud with CEO Michael O'Leary
  • Dispute over Starlink Wi-Fi rejection
  • Poll gets over 750,000 votes
  • 76.8% vote in favor of acquisition
2 min read

Elon Musk asks X users if he should buy 'Ryanair' after fiery clash with CEO

Elon Musk asks X users if he should buy Ryanair after a public clash with CEO Michael O'Leary over Starlink rejection. Poll gets 750k+ votes.

"restore Ryan as their rightful ruler... it is your destiny. - Elon Musk"

New Delhi, Jan 20

Elon Musk has once again grabbed global attention by taking a business dispute to social media, this time involving Europe's largest low-cost airline, Ryanair.

The billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX posted a public poll on X asking users whether he should buy Ryanair, following a heated exchange with the airline's outspoken chief executive, Michael O'Leary.

The poll came after a disagreement over the possible use of Starlink as in-flight Wi-Fi on Ryanair aircraft.

Ryanair has chosen not to install Starlink on its planes, saying the costs and operational impact do not make sense for its business model.

What started as a business-level disagreement quickly turned personal, with both Musk and O'Leary exchanging sharp comments in interviews and on social media.

Musk's poll asked a simple question about whether he should acquire Ryanair, presented in his usual casual and humorous style.

The response was massive. Within hours, the poll crossed more than 750,000 votes and continued to trend widely.

At the time of writing, around 76.8 per cent of users had voted in favour of the idea, although Musk has not clarified whether the poll reflects any serious takeover plan.

Adding to the buzz, Musk used wordplay and humour, saying Ryanair should be run by someone named Ryan.

In one post, he wrote that he wanted to "restore Ryan as their rightful ruler," ending the message with "it is your destiny."

These comments were widely shared and helped keep the online debate alive. The dispute traces back to Ryanair's public explanation for rejecting Starlink.

Tensions rose further when O'Leary made personal remarks about Musk during an interview with Newstalk, calling him "an idiot" and advising people to ignore him.

Musk responded on X by calling O'Leary "an utter idiot" and even posted "Fire him."

Ryanair's official social media account later joined the exchange during a service outage, jokingly asking Musk if he needed Wi-Fi.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
As an Indian traveller, I've used Ryanair in Europe. Their low-cost model works. O'Leary has a point about costs for his business. Musk's ego is showing again. Just because you're rich doesn't mean every company needs your product. Focus on making Teslas more affordable here first!
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Vikram M
Billionaire playground. Meanwhile, we are waiting for better domestic flight connectivity and lower fares within India. Can our industrialists have this kind of fun banter on Twitter? It's a different level of doing business in the West.
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Sarah B
Living in Bangalore, I see how Musk's companies influence tech here. But this public spat feels unprofessional. Both CEOs are acting like college kids. A respectful disagreement would have been better. The "utter idiot" name-calling is not a good look for leaders.
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Rohit P
"Restore Ryan as their rightful ruler" 🤣🤣🤣 Gold! Only Musk can get away with this. 76% voted yes? Public sentiment is clearly with him. O'Leary messed with the wrong guy. This is better than any Netflix series.
K
Kavya N
Free marketing for both. Genius. Everyone is talking about Ryanair and Starlink now. As a marketing professional, I have to admire the stunt. But as a woman, the macho posturing is a bit tiresome. Can we have business debates without personal insults?

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