> Musk is currently claiming that he will not need public funds for this. I don't have any reason not to take him at his word.

Musk has made numerous claims (e.g. Autopilot, Model 3 production, secured financing for taking Tesla private, that a cave rescuer is a "pedo") that have turned out to be wrong, even though being wrong would be materially and legally damaging to him.

What damages does Musk face if he's wrong about his project not needing public assistance?