CNBC faced an unexpected disruption when Elon Musk canceled a live interview moments before it was scheduled to air, leaving the network scrambling for answers amid falling SpaceX stock. The interview, heavily promoted as Musk’s first television discussion since SpaceX went public, was set to provide insights into recent company developments.
Julia Boorstin, CNBC correspondent on-site at the Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, informed viewers that the interview was postponed at the last minute. SpaceX shares were trading below their original IPO price of $135, hovering near $148 and down about 3% at the time of the announcement. This represented a notable dip from the stock’s initial surge after its June debut, where it opened at $150 and briefly climbed higher before retreating.
Among the topics CNBC intended to cover were the launch of Grok 4.5, SpaceX’s recently unveiled artificial intelligence model, and the company’s strategy to maintain customer pricing despite rising component costs. These areas would have followed a recent interview with OpenAI’s Sam Altman, who discussed advances in his company’s AI models.
Anchor Scott Wapner expressed disappointment over the cancellation and indicated that CNBC would share any updates regarding Musk’s availability. The sudden withdrawal not only caught the network off guard but also aligned with a broader market reaction to SpaceX’s share price volatility.