These are interesting questions, but for the most part, don't require concrete answers in the same way that "Do you have enough money?" do. Musk has plenty of places to talk about his bold ambitions and predictions. But the earnings call is one of the few regularly scheduled occasions when he and other executives can be demanded answers about current realities.

Yes, I agree. I do think allowing Gali to ask just one or two questions before throwing it back to the other analysts would have been a better tactic.

Allowing him to ask almost 10, especially after the abrupt shutdown of the other questions, came off as a slap in the faces of the other analysts.

I'm not familiar with these types of calls, but might it be possible he's trying to avoid getting into the nasty bits in front of all of the investors collectively in the hopes of swinging back around and dealing with them individually?

I've found that strategy to be pretty effectively employed by "perception management" types elsewhere. You know, guys with "reality distortion fields?" When you have a large group of people you're trying to maintain context for, you can end up getting into circumstances where you can get caught at giving contradictory statements more easily. Once the group catches that, they tend to dig and twist, and have further ammo for doing what you, the presenter, DON'T want.

Isolating said group members allows you the luxury of being able to devote your full attention to spinning the perception you're managing to only show what you want them to see without getting caught with your pants down by someone else you spun a yarn for previously.

I could be wrong of course, but I've seen it before.

>IMO because so much of the public is interested in the company

What do you mean by "so much of the public"? Outside of tech circles, Tesla isn't as well known as you imagine.

Why do we need to hear about all of their ideas and potential on the conference call? I can read Twitter, Electek, Teslarati, Reddit or others for that.

It is the most popular Retail investor stock, so it's not just tech folks.

"It is the most popular Retail investor stock..."

Source?