The worst part is they got simonw to (perhaps unwittingly or social engineering) vouch and stealth market for them.
And $1000/day/engineer in token costs at current market rates? It's a bold strategy, Cotton.
But we all know what they're going for here. They want to make themselves look amazing to convince the boards of the Great Houses to acquire them. Because why else would investors invest in them and not in the Great Houses directly.