Open-source stylometry study tests Musk theory against Satoshi writing traits

BeInCrypto reported on an open-source stylometry analysis posted on GitHub that puts a theory about Musk and Satoshi to the test. The study examined three writing habits that supporters of the theory cite. Its author compared those habits across a pool of 66 writers, including Musk, Hal Finney and Brad Mills.

On double spacing, Satoshi samples showed it in 95.3% of cases, while Musk had zero cases. British spelling appeared in 32.7% of Satoshi texts compared with 0.65% of Musk's, and the author notes that Musk's oldest 2006 writing used American spelling. On function-word similarity, Musk ranked 30th of 66 writers. The author says the technique identified Satoshi samples correctly in 27 of 30 cases. Finney's results sat nearer Satoshi's profile than Musk's did, while Brad Mills ranked 52nd and showed no link to Satoshi.

The author lists several caveats, including a genre gap between the samples, phone formatting that can change how text appears, and small sample sizes. The author also describes the work as hobby-scale rather than forensic linguistics.