It is still a contract of some repute with 11% stake. Do you think GM would sell to just any other startup with no history, if it wasn't for the hype??
The 11% was an additional sweetener given to GM to induce the partnership, not money GM was investing in Nikola.
Would I be willing to take some shine from an EV company willing to give me an approximately $2B (at the time) stake in their company, pay me around $700M of my own costs, and buy vehicles from me at a cost-plus arrangement? Shall I use my pen or yours?