Original article (in Albanian) was published on 3/7/2024; Author: Pustina Patris
Claim: The wife of the Ukrainian president, Olena Zelensky, bought a car worth 4.5 million euros.
Verdict: False
On social media, including Albanian-speaking platforms, there is a rumor circulating that the wife of the President of Ukraine has acquired a Bugatti Tourbillon, one of the world’s most expensive cars, valued at 4.5 million euros.
This story appears to originate from a newly launched French-language portal, La Verite Cachee just a month ago. The article mentions an alleged invoice and a purported employee from the Bugatti dealership in Paris, who posted a video on social media claiming that Zelenska had ordered the vehicle during the couple’s visit to Paris.
However, both the video and the claimed employee are not authentic. The video was created using deepfake technology, evident from sudden cuts, peculiar emphasis, and unnatural mouth and lip movements.
Additionally, Bugatti issued a press release on July 2 to refute ‘this misinformation campaign.’ The company explicitly denied ‘the existence of the transaction and, consequently, the existence of the invoice.’
Bugatti has lodged a criminal complaint for ‘forgery, use of forged documents, identity theft, and defamation,’ according to their statement, and the company has initiated legal actions.
