God knows what Oracle have spent but it is likely to be enough to buy a small country in Africa or maybe match Elton John's net worth (allegedly $350m).
They kept only their design team working during "hibernation" - a decision that has paid off handsomely in Bermuda - but were robbed of a qualifying regatta in Auckland.
Partly as a result, they found themselves offside with Oracle and the head of the Cup event, Sir Russell Coutts.
Oracle set about gathering the other challengers round them, much as a mother duck fusses over ducklings. They welded challengers to their will by promising them regular racing in the America's Cup World Series and, possibly, a Cup regatta every two years instead of the more usual four or five years.
The teams, seeing guaranteed employment through regular sponsor exposure, bought into this " with only Team NZ refusing to sign the agreement, thus leaving the door open for a different approach should they win in Bermuda.
That resulted in the Kiwis being frozen out not just by the defender but by the other challengers - hence Dalton's "lone wolf" quote. It was a stance some challengers may now be regretting with New Zealand sailing into tomorrow's Cup match.
The defender always stacks the deck in the Cup but never quite like this, with Oracle racing in the challenger series and chief duckling SoftBank Team Japan, skippered by Barker, training with Oracle after elimination. That's like the All Blacks having a practice match against England after going out of the Rugby World Cup.
But this time Team NZ are not belligerent over Oracle's manoeuvrings, deliberately standing on their dignity. There's been a myriad of minor hindrances and irritations but they have chosen to remain mostly silent. One example is the fact rookie helmsman Peter Burling has had to front press conferences when event organisers changed the rules from skippers having to attend to helmsmen.
It is difficult to think of any reason for this other than to put pressure on the newbie ... unless it is that cheeky Team NZ skipper Glenn Ashby presented Spithill with a legal kingpost at a presser last year (the kingpost being the item Oracle were found to have cheated with during the 2013 America's Cup World Series).
However, sources close to Team NZ say they are delighted with their design advances. The Kiwi foils are the most radical and perhaps most effective; their wing is trimmed differently from everyone else's; and their hydraulics system seems to be the most efficient on view, although Oracle also seem strong in that area.
The Kiwi cyclors are part of that. Some of the other boats seemingly run out of hydraulic power late in races, as the grinders ran out of gas. The cyclors often don't seem to be pedalling flat out, suggesting plenty in reserve.
ETNZ may have the fastest boat but through this regatta we have seen how a mistake can sink a race. OTUSA are also undeniably quick and efficient. Spithill is an aggressive and experienced match racer; Burling is not. OTUSA will not make the mistakes Artemis made.
ETNZ start the match a point down; Oracle have had three years to hone their machine. There is no doubt who is favourite.
But if things go the other way this time, the conversation about whether a comeback from impending closure is better than a comeback from 8-1...well, what a good debate that'd be.
