Elon Musk is making a unusual change to Tesla's Q1 earnings call because of a suggestion he got on Twitter

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

Elon Musk indicated Tesla will take a question from retail investors during its first-quarter earnings call on Wednesday.

• Elon Musk has indicated on Twitter that he will take a question crowdsourced from retail investors during Tesla's first-quarter earnings call on Wednesday.
• Often, companies restrict earnings call questions to analysts who work for major financial institutions rather than retail investors, who are not affiliated with large financial firms.
• That Musk would potentially change the structure of Tesla's earnings call less than 48 hours in advance due to a Twitter post speaks to his unique approach to public relations.

Tesla will report its first-quarter earnings on Wednesday, but this time the company is trying something different for its conference call following the numbers.

CEO Elon Musk will take a question from retail investors.

Often, companies restrict earnings call questions to analysts who work for major financial institutions, but Musk has indicated on Twitter that he will also take a question crowdsourced from retail investors, who are not affiliated with large financial firms.

On Monday, financial analyst Galileo Russell asked Musk on Twitter if he could ask a question crowdsourced from retail investors during Wednesday's earnings call.

"150 $TSLA shareholders, representing 63K+ shares ($18M+) have reached out to you in the past 4 days to encourage you to allow me on your upcoming Q1 earnings call & give retail investors a voice by asking a crowdsourced question. let's make this happen?" Russell wrote.

"Ok," Musk replied.

Musk didn't offer further details on how he would integrate the question into the call, and Tesla declined to comment on the matter.

Musk's response to Russell was another example of his unconventional approach to public relations. In contrast to most CEOs of highly-visible companies, Musk is known for his candid tone on social media. He has used platforms like Twitter to address customer concerns, spar with critics, make jokes, and hint at upcoming products and features.

Where many executives are careful to avoid sparking controversy on social media and focus on promoting their businesses, Musk is less measured. That he would potentially change the structure of Tesla's earnings call less than 48 hours in advance due to a Twitter post speaks to a communications philosophy that has both allowed him to develop a large, enthusiastic fanbase and frustrated critics.

Musk will have plenty of criticism to address on Wednesday's call. The past four months have included a high-profile Model X crash that led to a dispute with the National Transportation Safety Board, missed Model 3 production targets, a downgrade of the company's credit rating, and questions about workplace conditions at the Fremont, California, factory where the company builds its cars.

Tesla will stream the call on its website starting at 5:30 pm ET.

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