A Bugatti car, a first lady and the fake stories aimed at Americans

BBC News ^

[Timber Rattler]

A network of Russia-based websites masquerading as local American newspapers is pumping out fake stories as part of an AI-powered operation that is increasingly targeting the US election, a BBC investigation can reveal.

A former Florida police officer who relocated to Moscow is one of the key figures behind it.

It would have been a bombshell report - if it were true.

Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, allegedly bought a rare Bugatti Tourbillon sports car for 4.5m euros ($4.8m; £3.8m) while visiting Paris for D-Day commemorations in June. The source of the funds was supposedly American military aid money.

The story appeared on an obscure French website just days ago - and was swiftly debunked.

Experts pointed out strange anomalies on the invoice posted online. A whistleblower cited in the story appeared only in an oddly edited video that may have been artificially created. Bugatti issued a sharp denial, calling it "fake news", and its Paris dealership threatened legal action against the people behind the false story.

But before the truth could even get its shoes on, the lie had gone viral. Influencers had already picked up the false story and spread it widely.

[Timber Rattler]

And the pro-Kremlin brigade here lapped it up, just like the lies about her supposed Paris and New York "shopping sprees," and Zelensky buying two yachts and luxury properties in Florida, Israel, and Britain...all Russian lies.

More:

Zelenska didn’t buy a Bugatti hypercar for $4.8M

No, Volodomyr Zelensky's Wife Didn't Buy a Bugatti Tourbillion

A Bugatti hypercar for Olena Zelenska? Ukraine's First Lady falls victim to deepfake

The deepfake video shows an AI-generated man posing to be an employee of the Bugatti dealership in Paris who goes on to say that Olena was at a private presentation by Bugatti.

[Williams]

Glad to see some push back on the lies they peddle.

[Daveinyork]

The Putinjstas

[maddog55]

Yep..and the story was posted right here on FR.

[Chad C. Mulligan]

Some glum visages around the GRU propaganda offices today.

Fake news decisively fisked in less than 24 hours.

Sorry Boris!

[mewzilla]

The Beeb...

Okaaaay.

[Timber Rattler]

Corrected CyberNews link:

Zelenska didn’t buy a Bugatti hypercar for $4.8M

[DoodleBob]

I believe Putin and the Russian leadership give snakepits a bad name.

I believe Ukraine is a sovereign nation was invaded wrongly, and that Russia is the Bad Guy.

Aside from the immorality of the invasion, I don’t have a horse in this race, and don’t want one dime going to any foreign nation.

Perhaps 20-30 years ago, most conservatives would see the R-UK war, yawn and go back to work. To wit: nobody got worked up over the Soviet-Afghanistan war. Even during the annexation of the Crimea, people were relatively chill.

But Manischewitz, it boggles the mind to see the quantum of bandwidth wasted on the back and forth between “Zeepers” and “Putinistas.” I mean, I get calling out the hypocrisy of Putin et al and his faux morality. That sombich has the Cross in his hand and the devil in his heart. But for a conflict and a people thousands of miles away, you’d think the R-UK war is right down the street from the posters.

I think between the pandemic, the 2020 riots and election and OSHA mandate, a lot of people just lost their touch with reality. I also believe they “gave up” on America and have fallen for the Prince of Lies and now hoist Putin or Zelinsky on their shoulders.

This story is a good case in point. It’s like the trashy stories in Gayeway Pundit or Slay News with no facts and 100% sensation….and people just lap it up. And if you do any fact-checking, you’re called a deep stater by some low-information troll.

/rant.

[Tell It Right]

The Drive By Media has been lying forever. AI might be a new tool they implement their lies with, but in the end it’s still the same ol’ same ol’. See tagline.

[blitz128]

But the story is out and many will buy, pun intended, and then much energy will be expended to prove it wrong

Like accusing a neighbor of abusing his wife or better yet look what the feds did to Flynn

[Rdct29]

Because we all know they aren't stealing millions of dollars.lol Just because one story is fake doesn't mean the grifters aren't filling their pockets. Zelensky isn't George Washington. He's a clown pretending to be a dictator.

[pas]

My thoughts exactly.

[Jan_Sobieski]

Gosh…like the Russia Collusion story that the DNC funded? Or the Russia Disinformation story that 51 intelligence experts were paid to swear by? I think I trust stories like by non-mainstream media more than BBC and CNN. Is Zelensky’s Italian Villa still getting good use?

[Rdct29]

How about we stop meddling in corrupt countries on Russia's border and get our own house in order. If Russia turned Mexico into a military force aimed at us we wouldn't stand by and do nothing. I don't like Zelensky or Putin. If the West wasn't controlling Ukraine this war would have never happened.

[Justa]

“How about we stop meddling...”

How about we seize Russian assets first to stop Russia meddling and invading other countries? Then the raison d’être for foreign assistance is removed.

If Russia hadn’t invaded Ukraine we wouldn’t need to send aid or seize Russia’s assets.

[unread]

"Glad to see some push back on the lies they peddle."

Don't you just wish "they" would do as well on the tripe coming out of DC..?

[BeauBo]

Darth Putin, KGB, asks:

If Zelesnky is so corrupt, why can’t I just bribe him?

[Daveinyork]

Good rant.

Remember, when Trump was President, oil was cheap. Russia and Iran were relative!y tame. Wars are expensive.

[JonPreston]

🚨🤣🇺🇦Zelesnky's wife Olena just spent 4.5 million euros of your tax payer money on a brand new Bugatti Turbillon (1 out of 250) in France.

💰An employee of the Bugatti dealership in Paris by the name of Jacques Bertin revealed that the Zelensky's made this purchase whilst visiting Paris on the 7th of June 2024.

At the beginning of June, the Zelensky family arrived with a Ukrainian delegation in France for the ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings. Apart from official visits, the Zelensky couple was present in other less public events.

According to Jacques Bertin, an employee of the Bugatti dealership in Paris, the manufacturer's representatives organized a special presentation of the new car two weeks before the public announcement, which took place on June 20. Olena Zelenska was impressed by the new car and placed an order, becoming the owner of the first of 250 cars planned for production. Jacques Bertin expressed his admiration for Olena Zelenska and said that he and Bugatti were very proud that Zelenska is part of the Bugatti family.

[Little Pig]

Frankly I don’t care much about whether this particular story of Ukrainian corruption is true or not.

I think the thing that bugs me the most about this is someone buying a car like that just because it’s expensive. I know that sort of thing goes on all the time, but it feels insulting that these things are bought like they’re display objects. Whoever actually bought one of the Tourbillons will almost certainly drive it very little, or maybe even keep it in a display garage somewhere. They will never ever come close to the true performance envelope of that car. They’ll replace the tires and wheels every few years as the maintenance schedule requires, but the tires will have almost no wear, and the wheels will not have any stress microfractures. The owner will have effectively no understanding of the true meaning behind the car having 1800 horsepower.

I will never have the resources to own any modern Bugatti, but I probably have a better understanding of the implications of the car than 90% of the actual owners. I feel the same way every time I see a Viper on the road (though as those cars age, they’re finally trickling down into the hands of people who can properly use them). The vast majority of Vipers were bought by people who did NOT understand what the car really was.

I apply this standard less for cars like Zondas and Lamborghinis (which I likely also will never own), because they are not at the same level of engineering as the Bugatti. I still think it’s silly to waste them on prowling through expensive areas of the city late at night at 25mph, but in the final analysis, those cars are at least as much about how they look as they are about what’s under the hood. But the Bugattis were built around that incredible goal of the 1000hp (and higher) engine, but they’re mostly bought by people who will never truly understand what they have.

Oh, and I completely understand that there’s not really many places outside of a track where you can truly appreciate that kind of power, but there are some, and there are plenty of “driver’s roads” where the rest of the car can shine, and that deep well of power is there to keep the car moving energetically.