Google employee arrested for using insider data to win $1.2 million on Polymarket

A Google information security specialist was arrested in New York for allegedly using internal company data to place bets on Polymarket, earning over $1.2 million in profits.

Google employee arrested for using insider data to win $1.2 million on Polymarket

A Google developer has been arrested and extradited to New York on charges of using confidential internal information to place bets on the prediction market Polymarket, earning more than $1.2 million in profits – reports the BBC, as covered by Telex.

Michele Spagnulo, an Italian citizen residing in Switzerland, had worked at Google for twelve years as an information security specialist. Prosecutors allege he extracted data from internal marketing materials that were accessible to employees but explicitly prohibited from being used for gambling purposes.

Between October and December 2025, Spagnulo allegedly placed approximately $2.7 million in wagers on topics connected to Google. His most profitable bet concerned which person would be the most searched on Google in 2025. While the prevailing predictions favored others, Spagnulo wagered heavily that D4vd would claim the title – and that neither Bianca Censori nor Donald Trump would win. D4vd, a musician, was charged with murder in April after the body of missing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was discovered in his vehicle.

Because Spagnulo already knew from internal data that D4vd had become the most searched person, he placed his bets with high confidence and secured substantial payouts through favorable odds.

A New York judge ordered Spagnulo released on $2.25 million bail pending trial.

Source: Telex