Google worker charged for using internal data to make $1.2m on Polymarket
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- Michele Spagnuolo, a Google security engineer, was arrested and charged with insider trading after using confidential Google marketing data to win $1.2 million on Polymarket.
- U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI linked his Polymarket accounts to him via an Italian ID and secured a $2.25 million bond.
- Google placed Spagnuolo on leave and is cooperating with investigators, stating that using confidential information for betting breaches company policy.
- Polymarket said it worked closely with authorities, noting that blockchain trading leaves a traceable footprint.
- D4vd, the musician, was the subject of Spagnuolo’s winning bet on the most‑searched person on Google in 2025, a prediction that earned a large profit.
Why it matters: Google suffers reputational harm and regulatory scrutiny after a $1.2 M insider‑trading case exposed internal data misuse, while Polymarket gains credibility for cooperating with authorities and prompting tighter internal compliance measures.
