I have not read the entire story but I have heard accounts through the tech shows.
The way I have heard it told the person that found the prototype called Apple tech support (not a good way to handle it) and then tried to find someone that might pay well for it (worse). Gizmodo paid $5000 for it and then did a tech review almost as if it was an unboxing. It might seem to him like a golden egg but it seems creepy to almost autopsy a device that was acquired this way.
I think everyone went way too far and now Apple just looks bad... almost evil in fact.