I can't be fagged going through the process of becoming an online AFR reader, but the teasers on their website have published another story (only in the last 2 and a bit hours) with a headline that suggests the story is being denied by the ownership.
This rumour (and just 'coz it's published by the AFR doesn't mean it's fact) could be being peddled by any number of stakeholders with malicious intent.
Maybe Cyclone8888 might be so kind as to cut'n'paste the second article so that we might all share in the information released by the company.