Over 75% back Musk buying Ryanair in viral X poll
20 Jan 2026

Elon Musk has stirred the social media pot by conducting a poll on whether he should buy Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost airline.

The move comes after a public spat with the airline and its CEO Michael O'Leary.

The feud began when Ryanair refused to install Starlink internet on its fleet of over 600 aircraft due to fuel efficiency concerns.

Musk's response to Ryanair's refusal
Feud escalation

Musk strongly disagreed with O'Leary's stance, calling him "misinformed." He claimed the airline was unaware of how to calculate the fuel impact of Starlink equipment.

The billionaire even went as far as to say: "Ryanair CEO is an utter idiot. Fire him."

This was after a follower suggested he should buy Ryanair and sack O'Leary himself.

Musk's poll on Ryanair acquisition
Poll details

In the wake of the ongoing feud, Musk conducted a poll on X asking his followers if he should buy Ryanair.

The options were "F yes" and "No." As of writing, 77% had voted in favor of the acquisition while 23% were against it.

The poll has garnered over 727,000 votes and will close in 12 hours.

Ryanair's valuation and ownership
Airline profile

Ryanair is a publicly traded airline owned by numerous institutional and retail investors. As of mid-January 2026, its valuation was between $34.8 billion and $36.3 billion.

In March 2025, the airline reported net assets of around €9 billion in its financial filings, with total equity at roughly €7.6 billion in 2024.