Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, has sent a free flight ticket to Elon Musk in an apparent bid to calm the “battle of the billionaires”. The Tesla, X and SpaceX owner has said the Ryanair boss “needs to be fired” after Mr O’Leary said he would not follow other airlines in installing Starlink wifi on the fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft. Mr Musk, the world’s richest man, previously said Mr O’Leary’s calculation was wrong and called him “an utter idiot”. He also indicated he might buy Ryanair. But the airline CEO told The Independent: “Anyone is free to buy Ryanair shares, but non-Europeans cannot control a European airline.” Mr Musk has American, Canadian and South African citizenship. Mr O’Leary said his reluctance to install wifi on Ryanair’s Boeing 737s was due to cost and complexity. He said: “This is not simple. Once you start drilling holes in aircraft fuselages, it becomes very expensive and technically difficult. If it results in additional fuel drag, it’s something we would never go near. “That said, we are very happy to continue discussions with Starlink, Amazon, and Vodafone about the possibility of doing this – but only in a way that lowers our costs. Those discussions will continue. “The technology will eventually crack it. We’ll get there – 6G, 8G, 10G – and eventually the antenna won’t need to be external. It will come, but only when it can be provided free, without a cost penalty.” “We don’t believe people will pay for onboard wifi, even on long-haul flights where it’s often poor despite being ‘free.’ Once it can be sponsored or offered at no cost, people will genuinely use it.