That number makes no sense. How do you value a rock in space like that?
As you said, nonsense.
2. Based on the guess, the reporter probably took the suspected mass and multiplied it with the current price of the suspected metals. This is what the Business Insider "journalist" did, which she cites regarding another asteroid.
3. Yes, none of this makes any sense, especially the part where we assign a dollar value to something completely out of reach and which if we did somehow get to, would certainly affect the current price, by A LOT. But hey!
4. Don't be a conspiracy theorist. Believe all science reporting!