Elon Musk and Ryanair's CEO call each other 'idiots.' The numbers say something else.

By Steve Goldstein

Michael O'Leary and Elon Musk have choice words for one another.

Elon Musk and Michael O'Leary are calling each other idiots - but shareholders of both companies would reject that charge.

Musk is taking umbrage at the Ryanair CEO after O'Leary rejected using Starlink's internet service on the discount carrier's jets.

The issue is that, for O'Leary, Starlink's service doesn't make sense given the short-haul nature of Ryanair's flights. He told Reuters that it would cost between $200 million and $250 million, given the aerodynamic drag as well as the actual price of the service.

After Musk said Ryanair risked losing customers to other airlines that offer internet service, O'Leary told Ireland's Newstalk that people should pay no attention to Musk and that he's a "very wealthy" idiot.

Musk returned fire, calling O'Leary an "utter idiot" who should be fired and musing on the social-media service he owns whether he should buy the airline and install someone named Ryan to run it.

(Ryanair was co-founded by two people with the surname Ryan.)

What's very clear is that investors have been rewarded by investing in both "idiots."

According to FactSet, Ryanair Holdings shares (IE:RYA) (RYAAY) have returned 16% annually since going public in 1997, as other airlines have come in and out of bankruptcy. O'Leary became CEO in 1994.

Musk's Tesla (TSLA) has returned 43% per year since its 2010 IPO.

-Steve Goldstein

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01-20-26 0727ET