In a surprising plot twist, Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) banned at least two of its biggest boosters from attending the highly anticipated Investor Day event in Austin, Texas on March 1.
YouTuber Galileo Russell, who goes by the handle @Gali on Twitter, had his invite revoked and was escorted out of the premises. Russell flew to Austin, on his own buck, specifically for the event. He said that the security team did not tell him why his badge was revoked, and the disappointed YouTuber just chalked it up to “some internal decision, I guess.”
He was later allowed back in after he talked about his experience on YouTube and Twitter. Interestingly, even after being escorted out, Russell seemed to still have been very hyped about the event and the anticipated updates, particularly the Robotaxi and the Megapack. (Spoiler: there were no updates on the Robotaxi.)
As of this writing, the YouTuber has yet to update how he managed to get his access badge back.
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Omar Qazi, meanwhile, who goes by Whole Mars Catalog on Twitter and elsewhere online, was not even invited to the event. Like Russell, Qazi had been excited in the days leading to March 1.
He reportedly received an email on why he was denied access, which included the statement that “Tesla does not condone the posting of its internal information on public platforms.” While he was told why he wasn’t sent an invite, Qazi wasn’t sure what information the email from Tesla was pertaining to. Other users have suggested it could be the FSD 10.11 release notes that he posted in March last year.
Both Russell and Qazi have been devoted long-time fans of Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk. They’ve dedicated most of their online presence to $TSLA and Musk updates.
The incident highlights Musk’s tendency to shut down and keep grudges against critics and naysayers.
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Russell has yet to post updates from the event, while Qazi, who watched the three-hour livestream from his couch, is going through a bit of an existential crisis, but looks like he’ll be fine.
Employees at the invite-only event say that this year’s Investor Day had only 275 attendees — if Ross Gerber counts as just one fanboy.
Information for this briefing was found via Twitter, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
