Smile, Elon, you're on camera: SpaceX made its earnings call must-see TV for Musk fans

Smile, Elon, you're on camera: SpaceX made its earnings call must-see TV for Musk fans Elon Musk appeared in a live video stream for SpaceX's third-quarter earnings call. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images SpaceX's superfans may have found their next must-see TV.The rocket and AI company's third-quarter earnings call on Tuesday included a live video stream featuring SpaceX's big three: CEO Elon Musk, COO Gwynne Shotwell, and CFO Bret Johnson.The video, which opened with cinematic shots of SpaceX's products, featured the executives seated at a table speaking to the camera from the SpaceX Starlink factory in Bastrop, Texas, with SpaceX-branded water bottles in front of them."In order to understand the nature of the universe and all these fundamental questions, we must expand the scope and scale of consciousness," Musk said in a recording that played over images of space and the moon, with the result looking far more like a trailer for a sci-fi film than the start of a corporate earnings report.Musk wore a black T-shirt featuring a logo for Grok, SpaceX's AI assistant, and a black leather jacket, a classic sartorial choice famously favored by another Big Tech CEO.SpaceX also used the video format to share a recap video of a recent Starship flight as well as a dramatic video simulation, complete with orchestral music, of an upcoming flight in which the company's giant mechanical arms and stand will try to catch both the booster and the ship, calling it a "profound technology milestone in the history of civilization and consciousness."While earnings calls generally include live audio, live video streams are far less common. SpaceX's first earnings report as a public company in August did not include video. Netflix, Duolingo, and Robinhood have all livestreamed their earnings calls.Netflix has streamed live video of its earnings calls for years, including its latest call on Tuesday, which featured its co-CEOs. Robinhood's CEO told The Verge last year the company's video earnings call was inspired by the NBA post-game interview.SpaceX reported a significant increase in both AI spending and revenue. The stock was up 5% in after-hours trading. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Kelsey Vlamis is a senior reporter for Business Insider, where she covers business and tech news. She also writes business stories about travel, luxury, and culture. Previously, she covered the environment, outdoors, and indigenous issues.Her feature story "Disaster at 18,200 feet" received awards from the New York Press Club and the North American Travel Journalists Association, as well as honorable mention from the Society of American Travel Writers. She has also received an American Journalism Online Award for her coverage on missing and murdered Indigenous people in Wyoming.She's appeared on CBS, NPR, NBC, and other outlets to discuss her reporting. She previously worked on the world news desk at the BBC in London and received a master's in journalism from Northwestern University.She can be reached by email at kvlamis@businessinsider.com or via the encrypted-messaging app Signal at kelseyv.21. Elon Musk Earnings