Business
Elon Musk Eyes Ryanair Amid Feud With CEO O’Leary
Elon Musk suggests buying Ryanair after feud with CEO Michael O’Leary over Starlink, sparking online debate and investor scepticism
Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has escalated a public spat with Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary by suggesting he could buy the budget airline.
Also read: Funke Akindele’s Film “Behind The Scenes” Breaks Records
The clash began last week when O’Leary dismissed the idea of installing Musk’s Starlink satellite internet on Ryanair planes, citing a 2% fuel drag and an added $200–$250 million annual fuel cost. Musk fired back on X, calling O’Leary “misinformed” and even suggested the CEO should be fired.
On Friday, Musk went further, asking his followers whether he should acquire Europe’s largest airline, valued at around €30 billion, and jokingly polluting if he should “restore Ryan as their rightful ruler.”
Over 75% of nearly 900,000 respondents supported the idea. Ryanair was co-founded in 1984 by Irish billionaire Tony Ryan, who died in 2007.
Ryanair’s official X account joined the banter, mocking Musk during a US X outage. Musk responded by asking, “How much would it cost to buy you?”
Despite the media buzz, investors appeared unimpressed, with Ryanair shares closing nearly 1% lower, suggesting markets are sceptical about any takeover.
Regulatory hurdles also make an acquisition complicated, as EU airlines must be majority-owned by EU or select EEA nationals. Musk, a South African-born US citizen, would face significant legal barriers.
The feud reignited after O’Leary called Musk “an idiot” on Irish radio and argued that passengers would not pay for in-flight internet, adding that he was “thankfully” too old for social media.
Also read: Funke Akindele’s Film “Behind The Scenes” Breaks Records
The ongoing row highlights Musk’s penchant for high-profile Twitter clashes and brings renewed attention to Ryanair’s leadership and technological strategy.
President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to rehabilitating and repositioning Nigeria’s dormant national refineries, declaring that the facilities will not be allowed to become stranded assets.
Tinubu was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Patience Oyekunle, at the 20th OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week in Lagos on Monday.
The President said the government is adopting a more rigorous and commercially sustainable approach to the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries.
“At the same time, the government remains committed to ensuring that existing national refining assets are not allowed to become stranded investments,” the statement said.
“We are pursuing a more rigorous, commercially sustainable approach to the rehabilitation and repositioning of our refineries, supported by technical assessment, stronger partnerships, and improved operational discipline.”
The objective, according to the administration, is for Nigeria to refine more of its crude oil, create greater domestic value and become a reliable supplier of energy to Africa.
The national refineries, managed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), have remained largely inactive for years despite significant spending on turnaround maintenance. The NNPC has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese firms as part of ongoing efforts to revive the facilities.
Tinubu also noted the contribution of private refining capacity, particularly the Dangote Refinery, which has reached its 650,000 barrels-per-day nameplate capacity, in strengthening Nigeria’s prospects of becoming a net exporter of refined petroleum products.
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