Stated that funding was secured to take Tesla private at $420 per share.
Evidence chain
From statement to verdict.
- 01
Original statement
Stated that funding was secured to take Tesla private at $420 per share.
Aug 7, 2018 · Factual Assertion
- 02
Measurable target
Present-tense claim
Not applicable
- 03
Observed outcome
Tesla was not taken private. The SEC alleged the funding was not secured; Musk and Tesla settled without admitting or denying wrongdoing. A separate civil jury later found Musk not liable to investors.
Evaluated Jul 26, 2026
- 04
Verdict and score
Unsupported
25 of 100 points under the v5 rubric. An affirmative claim lacks adequate credible support but is not conclusively disproven.
Record details
How this row was evaluated.
- Subject category
- Business & Technology
- Organization or context
- Tesla
- Relationship to organization
- Current affiliation
- Assertion mode
- Direct statement or documented commitment; exact mode not systematically classified in v2
- Deadline result
- Not applicable
- Eventual outcome
- Not applicable
- Factual accuracy
- Unsupported
- Canonical classification
- Unsupported
- Score points
- 25 / 100
- Included in headline score
- Yes
- Research confidence
- High
- Credible-source contestation
- Yes
- Contestation resolution
- Unresolved
- Correction status
- No correction documented in the cited evidence reviewed for this row
- Deleted after challenge
- Not established from the cited evidence
- Repeated after correction
- Not established from the cited evidence
- Evidence-documented repetition count
- At least 1 documented instance
Intent stays separate
Was intentional deception established?
No
- Detailed assessment
- Not established
- Intent evidence level
- 1 / 3
The SEC alleged that the funding statement was false and misleading, but the settlement included no admission or denial and a later civil jury found no investor liability. The record does not establish intentional deception for this dataset.
“No” does not mean the statement was true. It means the cited evidence did not meet the higher standard needed to establish the speaker's state of mind.
Evidence strength
A disclosed measure of evidence quality—not a probability.
Component scores measure source quality, corroboration, and directness. Verdict confidence begins with that evidence strength and applies the deductions documented in the methodology.
Quality and directness of evidence that Musk made the statement.
Quality of evidence establishing the outcome.
Independent corroboration across sources and domains.
How directly the evidence resolves the proposition.
- Evidence sources
- 3
- Independent source domains
- 2
- Claim audit
- Complete
- Source audit
- Pass
Material contestation is documented and resolved or left Unresolved in the row.
Citations
Read the underlying sources.
Field-level evaluation audit
Every calculated output carries its own evidence basis.
Open any of the 12 audited outputs to see its calculated value, written basis, rule, and cited sources.
01Deadline resultNot applicable
Evidence basis
Compared the original target/timeframe (“Present-tense claim”) with the documented outcome. Result: Not applicable. Evidence: SEC charges Elon Musk with securities fraud; Elon Musk settles SEC fraud charges; Tesla charged with and resolves securities law charge; Elon Musk Laid Out 602 Goals. We Counted How Many He Hit. URLs: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-219; https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-226; https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/02/technology/elon-musk-promises-spacex-ipo.html
Calculation rule
Compare original target with documented timing.
- Evidence strength
- 97 / 100
- Verdict confidence
- 89 / 100 · High
- Audit status
- Complete
02Eventual outcomeNot applicable
Evidence basis
Classified the later real-world result independently from the headline verdict. Result: Not applicable. Documented outcome: Tesla was not taken private. The SEC alleged the funding was not secured; Musk and Tesla settled without admitting or denying wrongdoing. A separate civil jury later found Musk not liable to investors. Evidence: SEC charges Elon Musk with securities fraud; Elon Musk settles SEC fraud charges; Tesla charged with and resolves securities law charge; Elon Musk Laid Out 602 Goals. We Counted How Many He Hit. URLs: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-219; https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-226; https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/02/technology/elon-musk-promises-spacex-ipo.html
Calculation rule
Classify the later real-world outcome separately from the headline verdict.
- Evidence strength
- 97 / 100
- Verdict confidence
- 89 / 100 · High
- Audit status
- Complete
03Factual accuracyUnsupported
Evidence basis
Compared the normalized proposition with the cited records. Result: Unsupported. Documented outcome: Tesla was not taken private. The SEC alleged the funding was not secured; Musk and Tesla settled without admitting or denying wrongdoing. A separate civil jury later found Musk not liable to investors. Evidence: SEC charges Elon Musk with securities fraud; Elon Musk settles SEC fraud charges; Tesla charged with and resolves securities law charge; Elon Musk Laid Out 602 Goals. We Counted How Many He Hit. URLs: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-219; https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-226; https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/02/technology/elon-musk-promises-spacex-ipo.html
Calculation rule
Compare the normalized factual proposition with cited evidence.
- Evidence strength
- 97 / 100
- Verdict confidence
- 89 / 100 · High
- Audit status
- Complete
04Canonical verdictUnsupported
Evidence basis
Factual-claim rule: apply the published True, Mostly True, Misleading, Unsupported, False, or Unresolved definition. Applied result: Unsupported (Unsupported). Evidence finding: Tesla was not taken private. The SEC alleged the funding was not secured; Musk and Tesla settled without admitting or denying wrongdoing. A separate civil jury later found Musk not liable to investors. Evidence: SEC charges Elon Musk with securities fraud; Elon Musk settles SEC fraud charges; Tesla charged with and resolves securities law charge; Elon Musk Laid Out 602 Goals. We Counted How Many He Hit. URLs: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-219; https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-226; https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/02/technology/elon-musk-promises-spacex-ipo.html
Calculation rule
Apply strict promise rule or published factual-claim classification.
- Evidence strength
- 97 / 100
- Verdict confidence
- 89 / 100 · High
- Audit status
- Complete
05Score points25
Evidence basis
Score assigned mechanically from verdict and claim type under strict-promise-v1.0: Unsupported = 25 points.
Calculation rule
Map verdict mechanically to points under the applicable rule.
- Evidence strength
- 97 / 100
- Verdict confidence
- 89 / 100 · High
- Audit status
- Complete
06Inclusion in the Trust ScoreYes
Evidence basis
Included because the claim has a resolved evidence-based verdict.
Calculation rule
Include only resolved evidence-based verdicts.
- Evidence strength
- 97 / 100
- Verdict confidence
- 89 / 100 · High
- Audit status
- Complete
07Research confidenceHigh
Evidence basis
Evidence strength 97/100 = statement 30/30 + outcome 40/40 + corroboration 15/15 + directness 12/15. Published deductions yield verdict confidence 89/100 (High).
Calculation rule
Calculate from evidence components and published deductions.
- Evidence strength
- 97 / 100
- Verdict confidence
- 89 / 100 · High
- Audit status
- Complete
08Credible-source contestationYes
Evidence basis
Credible-source contestation: Yes. Resolution: Unresolved Evidence URLs: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-219; https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-226; https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/02/technology/elon-musk-promises-spacex-ipo.html
Calculation rule
Record material credible-source disagreement separately from verdict.
- Evidence strength
- 97 / 100
- Verdict confidence
- 89 / 100 · High
- Audit status
- Complete
09Correction statusNo correction documented in the cited evidence reviewed for this row
Evidence basis
Correction status is bounded to the cited record: No correction documented in the cited evidence reviewed for this row. Evidence URLs: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-219; https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-226; https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/02/technology/elon-musk-promises-spacex-ipo.html
Calculation rule
Bound correction finding to cited evidence.
- Evidence strength
- 97 / 100
- Verdict confidence
- 89 / 100 · High
- Audit status
- Complete
10Repetition after correctionNot established from the cited evidence
Evidence basis
Repeated after correction: Not established from the cited evidence. Minimum documented repetition count: At least 1 documented instance. Evidence URLs: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-219; https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-226; https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/02/technology/elon-musk-promises-spacex-ipo.html
Calculation rule
Bound repetition finding to cited evidence.
- Evidence strength
- 97 / 100
- Verdict confidence
- 89 / 100 · High
- Audit status
- Complete
11Intentional-deception answerNo
Evidence basis
The SEC alleged that the funding statement was false and misleading, but the settlement included no admission or denial and a later civil jury found no investor liability. The record does not establish intentional deception for this dataset.
Calculation rule
Require direct admission, adjudicated intent finding, or comparably conclusive state-of-mind evidence.
- Evidence strength
- 97 / 100
- Verdict confidence
- 89 / 100 · High
- Audit status
- Complete
12Strict promise resultNot applicable
Evidence basis
Factual-claim rule: apply the published True, Mostly True, Misleading, Unsupported, False, or Unresolved definition. Applied result: Unsupported (Unsupported). Evidence finding: Tesla was not taken private. The SEC alleged the funding was not secured; Musk and Tesla settled without admitting or denying wrongdoing. A separate civil jury later found Musk not liable to investors. Evidence: SEC charges Elon Musk with securities fraud; Elon Musk settles SEC fraud charges; Tesla charged with and resolves securities law charge; Elon Musk Laid Out 602 Goals. We Counted How Many He Hit. URLs: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-219; https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-226; https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/02/technology/elon-musk-promises-spacex-ipo.html
Calculation rule
Pass only if every material promise or forecast term was met; otherwise Fail, Pending, Unresolved, or Not applicable.
- Evidence strength
- 97 / 100
- Verdict confidence
- 89 / 100 · High
- Audit status
- Complete
Audit trail
Selection and scoring notes.
- v5 classification rationale
- Factual-claim rule: apply the published True, Mostly True, Misleading, Unsupported, False, or Unresolved definition. Applied result: Unsupported (Unsupported). Evidence finding: Tesla was not taken private. The SEC alleged the funding was not secured; Musk and Tesla settled without admitting or denying wrongdoing. A separate civil jury later found Musk not liable to investors. Evidence: SEC charges Elon Musk with securities fraud; Elon Musk settles SEC fraud charges; Tesla charged with and resolves securities law charge; Elon Musk Laid Out 602 Goals. We Counted How Many He Hit. URLs: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-219; https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018-226; https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/02/technology/elon-musk-promises-spacex-ipo.html
- v4 → v5 source-package migration audit
- Audited, no headline change. Evidence and derived statistics re-audited.
- Selection basis
- High-impact, concrete, externally verifiable claim or dated commitment
- Source quality
- Primary source and/or major wire, official record, or established fact-checker V4 evidence metrics: statement 30/30; outcome 40/40; corroboration 15/15; directness 12/15.
- Methodology note
- V5 uses strict-promise-v1.0. Later delivery does not earn partial credit for a missed dated promise. Scored under the v2 Unsupported category at 25 points. This verdict measures demonstrated reliability and does not by itself establish deceptive intent.