Hey Tom your posts are always informative and this one is no exception! I don't doubt that the conversation took place.
I have a theory about what happened. The 8500 replaces the 8000. For that reason, I believe that FT held the release of it to reduce the inventory of 8000 held by distributors and dealers. According to a recent thread, a customer ordered one from a dealer who gets direct ship from El Paso and there were no more 8000's at the factory so it's replacement, the 8500 got shipped - before the official release of the new model.
As far as the FT CEO's comment about Chinese clones goes, none of us know exactly what he said..... It is likely that he didn't know that at least one unit had been shipped in advance of the planned release date.
I have never seen any info which would indicate that the 8000 or 8500 were ever pirated, they crooks only did the T2 ripoff in order to swindle poor African miners at a time that those folks were in a gold rush and the word was that you had to have either a T2 or a ML GPX4500 to find gold. The ripoff artists, seeing a chance to make money, copied both machines.
The 8500 is made in El Paso, not China. Says so right on the box - "Made in USA FROM USA and imported parts". I got one this week and I'm looking at the box as I write this.