Mon Jan 19 19:00:00 UTC 2026: ### Musk and O’Leary Engage in Heated Public Feud Over Starlink and Ryanair’s Wi-Fi Policy

The Story:
A public dispute has erupted between Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and owner of X, and Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, over the airline’s decision not to install Starlink internet on its aircraft. The feud began after O’Leary dismissed Musk’s Starlink proposal, citing cost and fuel consumption concerns in a radio interview. Musk responded with personal insults on X, escalating the conflict. Ryanair’s social media team then joined in to mock Musk during a reported outage on X.

Key Points:

  • Michael O’Leary called Elon Musk an “idiot” and described X as a “cesspit” in a radio interview.
  • Elon Musk responded by calling O’Leary an “utter idiot” on X and suggested he should be fired.
  • Ryanair has publicly stated that installing Starlink would increase fuel consumption by 2% and cost the airline hundreds of millions of dollars annually, a trade-off they deem not worthwhile for short-haul flights.
  • Musk disputes Ryanair’s figures, pointing to other airlines using Starlink and the growing importance of fast internet for passengers.
  • Ryanair’s official X account mocked Musk during a reported outage on his platform.

Critical Analysis
The timeline of related events suggests a growing frustration on Musk’s part toward Ryanair’s persistent refusal to adopt Starlink, leading to increasingly personal attacks. The mention of Musk “considering buying Ryanair” adds another dimension, indicating this may be more than just a simple disagreement over Wi-Fi. Musk’s previous call for a “moral constitution” for Grok and ongoing OpenAI trial suggests a pattern of Musk involving himself in controversies related to his various ventures, further amplifying the media attention surrounding this particular feud.

Key Takeaways:

  • The disagreement highlights the tension between technological innovation and traditional business models focused on cost efficiency.
  • The public nature of the feud underscores the power of social media in shaping corporate narratives and personal reputations.
  • The personal attacks indicate a breakdown in professional communication and potentially deeper underlying tensions.
  • Musk’s possible interest in buying Ryanair adds a layer of strategic complexity to the dispute.
  • The conflict emphasizes the varying perceptions of the value of in-flight Wi-Fi among airline executives and tech innovators.

Impact Analysis
This feud is likely to intensify the debate about the future of in-flight connectivity and could influence other airlines’ decisions regarding Starlink. If Musk continues to pursue acquiring Ryanair, it could reshape the European aviation landscape. The public spat could also damage the reputations of both Musk and O’Leary, although their established positions may mitigate any long-term negative effects. Ultimately, the incident demonstrates how personal conflicts can significantly impact business strategies and industry trends.

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