Meaning of the phrase "at least initially"

What does the phrase "at least initially", as used in these examples, mean?

The attention, at least initially, surprised them.

At least initially, few donors seemed to agree.

But the real gold, at least initially, is water.

Please, no insults!

Solution 1:

"Initially" is an adverb meaning "at the beginning" or "at first." The word "least" adds the idea that the circumstance (surprise, non-agreemnent, "gold") while not permanent, was true for some time in the beginning, and possibly for longer. "Least" is a word that hedges accuracy. "She is at least 30" means the speaker is not sure of her age, but is giving an estimate that is very likely within the correct range.

The third sentence is somewhat hard to parse because "the real gold...is water" is a comparison between two very different physical substances, and has to be considered as a metaphor.