From Troll to Takeover Talk: Elon Musk–Ryanair Feud Sets Social Media Ablaze

The social media fight between Elon Musk and Ryanair went off like a rocket in January 2026, mixing up corporate rivalry and the most shared jokes. The altercation started with Ryanair’s chief executive officer Michael O’Leary who called it inefficient and too expensive to let Starlink internet for the whole aircraft. Musk answered on X, doubting the claims of O’Leary and the airline’s management. When there was an X outage, it affected users in the US and Ryanair’s smart social media team took a jibe at Musk, thereby drawing a consequent reaction. The feud between Elon Musk and Ryanair soon became the hottest topic and memes, discussions and jokes about takeovers were part of it, which attracted and amused people all over the world.

Musk’s Viral Jab and the Starlink Debate

The clash of Elon Musk and Ryanair was at its peak when Musk in a light-hearted manner questioned if he should buy Ryanair and appoint someone “who is actually named Ryan” to run the company. The comment went viral trending on X and got numerous joking responses. The war of words, however, the Elon Musk Ryanair feud is a real business big divide. On the one hand, Ryanair says that Starlink adds to fuel costs while on the other hand the Musk side says that technology has almost zero impact and it could also be a customer attractor. With other airlines the likes of United and Lufthansa going for Starlink the Elon Musk Ryanair feud is a pointer to the fact that technology innovation, brand voice and leadership ego are the things that collide online.