Perhaps a particular claim on HC was a hoax but I know first...

Perhaps a particular claim on HC was a hoax but I know first hand of at least one transaction exceeding that value.
However, that doesn't make any difference going forward. It's whatever transaction or deal that the company does going forward that matters.
It's unfortunate timing for us that the lithium price is currently as low as it is but I haven't seen any forecasts that don't anticipate a sustained deficit and higher prices from around 2029 onwards. That is why RIO has very recently joined others in looking for acquisitions now. Some analysts are now saying higher prices might come earlier than 2029.
Lower battery and EV prices are now having a big positive impact on EV sales growth in Australia. Unfortunately Europe and the US are using tariffs to slow their imports of cheaper Chinese EV's but hopefully they ramp up local production quickly and for now China can still export to Asian countries. We are going through a slump right now but EV's are still going to take over and Europe and the US will resume their prior growth rates when their own locally produced EV prices eventually start dropping.
Any way I look at it, including in the middle of this lithium price slump, this company is worth much more than what we paid. Listed Vulcan, which is also a geothermal brine developer, currently has a market cap of $715mill. Expect that to go back up into the billions on any modest and sustained recovery in the lithium price.