Google engineer made $1.2M by placing bets on Polymarket using confidential info, prosecutors allege
A Google engineer is accused of making over $1.2 million by using confidential company information to place bets on Polymarket. Michele Spagnulo allegedly wagered on the singer D4vd being Google's most-searched person of the year in 2025, leveraging insider data. The case highlights ongoing concerns about insider trading in prediction markets and has led to significant legal actions.
- ▪Michele Spagnulo, a 36-year-old Italian citizen, is charged with commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
- ▪Prosecutors allege he used internal Google search data to place bets from October to December 2025.
- ▪Spagnulo earned over $1.2 million by betting on D4vd, who was assigned a near-zero probability of being the top-searched person.
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U.S. newsGoogle engineer made $1.2M by placing bets on Polymarket using confidential info, prosecutors allegeMichele Spagnulo, a 36-year-old Italian citizen living in Switzerland, used insider information to bet singer D4vd would be Google’s most-searched person of the year in 2025, according to prosecutors.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00A general exterior view of Google's headquarters in London. A Google engineer is accused in the U.S. of using insider information to make more than $1 million off bets placed on Polymarket.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at NBC News — Top.