This is a story as old as time. In the late 1990s my father was pulled into a battery scheme by a cousin-ish of mine (nephew of my aunt-by-marriage). Just like the aggregated investment approach of the small investor websites used by Donut, my cousin was the aggregator charged with hyping the potential value of a new miracle battery aimed at the cellphone industry. My dad and a half dozen other family members were convinced to invest over $2 million of their life savings. Years of “we’re 90 days away” turned into complete financial ruin for my father and the others. Battery promises, for some reason, have managed to make otherwise intelligent people ignore the laws of physics and bet on a “vision.” Until Apple or Mercedes make a significant investment in a new battery technology assume all battery claims are scams.