[rnl]

Not quite, Apple was rumored to be buying Tesla, which would have made sense considering thier cash reserves, however the deal never happened.

[gilgoomesh]

Apple rumors are not a typical example. There's a whole industry of idiots "analysts" who do nothing but release click-bait speculation about Apple.

[ghshephard]

Indication, but not guarantee. The point I was really trying to make, is that rumors typically don't leak at the very early stage, when there are limited people involved. The point at which rumors do start occurring, is at the very final, final stages - and so it's not surprising that a deal is closed soon after the rumors start leaking.