{ "docId": "019dd923-622c-750b-8b9a-1cc056790523", "docSlug": "340e94a59fc0", "documentTitle": "IonQ Inc. (IONQ)", "authorId": "58_Scorpion_Capital", "authorName": "Scorpion Capital", "documentKindSlug": "activist-deck", "documentKindLabel": "Activist deck", "sourceTypeSlug": "short_seller", "sourceTypeLabel": "Short seller", "presentationDate": "2022-05-03 00:00:00", "orientation": "landscape", "aspectRatio": 1.2941177, "pageNumber": 59, "pageCount": 183, "prevPage": 58, "nextPage": 60, "slideType": "expose_contradiction", "function": "expose_contradiction", "density": "dense", "nDataPoints": 0, "notes": "The slide uses a Q&A format to present evidence of internal dissent and potential misrepresentation of technical capabilities.", "elementsJson": [ "paragraph", "quote_block" ], "metadataConfidence": 1, "imagePath": null, "slideHref": "/slides/019dd923-622c-750b-8b9a-1cc056790523/59", "deckHref": "/decks/019dd923-622c-750b-8b9a-1cc056790523", "deckJsonHref": "/decks/019dd923-622c-750b-8b9a-1cc056790523.json", "deckAnchorHref": "/decks/019dd923-622c-750b-8b9a-1cc056790523#slide-59", "components": [ { "bbox": null, "kind": "callout", "text": "The ex-employee suggested that “essentially every scientist” at IonQ opposed the announcement, and that “essentially all” of the scientists “felt extremely uncomfortable with the statement.”", "attrs": null, "subkind": null, "toolName": "Visual emphasis", "toolSlug": "visual-emphasis", "confidence": null, "componentId": "019dd952-f5d2-7501-bd7d-8d8e35995941", "frameworkName": null, "frameworkSlug": null }, { "bbox": { "h": 0.25, "w": 0.9, "x": 0.05, "y": 0.08 }, "kind": "paragraph", "text": "The ex-executive’s allegations that IonQ’s claim of a 32-qubit machine are “fraudulent” were corroborated by a former senior technical employee in a key role. The ex-employee was careful to use legalistic language, but the implication was clear and the internal color was devastating: not only was the announcement allegedly false, but there was “an unprecedented amount of pushback” by the “scientists who are building the systems.” The ex-employee suggested that “essentially every scientist” at IonQ opposed the announcement, and that “essentially all” of the scientists “felt extremely uncomfortable with the statement.”", "attrs": null, "subkind": "paragraph", "toolName": null, "toolSlug": null, "confidence": null, "componentId": "6dfd0c20-d774-47d1-a16f-32c1cff94384", "frameworkName": null, "frameworkSlug": null }, { "bbox": { "h": 0.45, "w": 0.9, "x": 0.05, "y": 0.45 }, "kind": "paragraph", "text": "Ex-employee indicated the 32-qubit computer announcement was false and met with strong internal resistance\nQ: “What are some of the areas or some of the claims where you think they’re being particularly aggressive, where you don’t agree with how they’re positioning it publicly?”\nA: “For instance, and we can probably talk about other things as well, but just to take one particular example, there was a forward-looking statement from about a year and a half ago, maybe, a year ago about the expected quantum volume of 4 million.”\nQ: “The 32 qubit computer announcement in October 2020?”\nA: “Yes, but that is one example out of many. So, announcements are made. I understand that legally speaking, this is a forward-looking statement, but in a sense, the statements were crafted in my opinion in such a way that people were supposed to expect such a machine to come online with certain specifications by certain dates or quarters. To date, however, if you go and take a look at what is available to the clients that are using IonQ’s machines, I do not believe you will find a client that has access to the machine that actually has 32 qubits with 4 million quantum volume as was stated in the statement.”\nQ: “Was there disagreement or pushback in the company before this took place?”\nA: “There was. Certainly, I would say, an unprecedented amount of pushback, especially by the scientists who are building the systems, who have built the systems, unlike some of these founders who’ve been professors long enough to not know what actually goes in the lab, as you can imagine. I can tell you that essentially every scientist has expressed strong opinions as to how difficult and a monumental challenge this is going to be...you could bet essentially all of the scientists who’ve seen the PR have felt extremely uncomfortable with the statement.” – Former senior scientific employee of IonQ", "attrs": null, "subkind": "paragraph", "toolName": null, "toolSlug": null, "confidence": null, "componentId": "cbe3768a-4651-44af-bafb-33741846d624", "frameworkName": null, "frameworkSlug": null }, { "bbox": null, "kind": "quote", "text": "“I do not believe you will find a client that has access to the machine that actually has 32 qubits with 4 million quantum volume as was stated in the statement.” — Former senior scientific employee of IonQ", "attrs": null, "subkind": null, "toolName": "Authority citation", "toolSlug": "authority-citation", "confidence": null, "componentId": "019dd952-f5d2-7501-bd7d-91efc1cbe99a", "frameworkName": null, "frameworkSlug": null }, { "bbox": { "h": 0.03, "w": 0.3, "x": 0.05, "y": 0.95 }, "kind": "source-note", "text": "Source: Scorpion Capital consultation calls with experts", "attrs": null, "subkind": null, "toolName": null, "toolSlug": null, "confidence": null, "componentId": "c89a06fb-eac8-495e-8e14-2b947d694bd5", "frameworkName": null, "frameworkSlug": null } ], "metrics": [], "tools": [], "frameworks": [ { "name": "fraud-exposure", "slug": null, "matchId": "7f4528dc-ba8d-4391-8a3c-b38a36d6b382", "evidence": "The slide explicitly frames the content as exposing fraudulent claims by a company.", "confidence": 0.9 } ], "arcBeats": [], "loops": [], "imagePathAlt": null, "thumbSrc": null, "thumbSrcAlt": null, "locked": true }