Michele Spagnolo, an Italian citizen who worked as an information security engineer for Google in the United States, was accused of using insider information to place bets on the Polymarket platform. According to ABC News, he was arrested in New York on May 27, 2026.
According to the investigation, Spagnolo placed several successful bets using confidential Google information. His most notable prediction was about who would be the most popular person in the Google search engine in 2025. He “predicted” that singer D4vd would be the most searched person of the year. However, at that time, the probability of this outcome on the Polymarket platform was considered almost zero.
According to the information, the total earnings of the Google employee amounted to about $ 1.2 million.
Investigators say that Spagnolo took special steps to hide the source of his income. However, the Italian engineer denies the charges. He was released on $2.25 million bail.
Google said it was cooperating with law enforcement and had suspended the employee while the investigation continued.
In April 2026, a US soldier was arrested in New York for trading on Polymarket using insider information about a Venezuelan operation.
Earlier, the French meteorological service said it suspected that temperature sensors at Paris airport had been deliberately tampered with. Some users allegedly made up to $20,000 on the Polymarket platform by exploiting sharp changes in temperature readings.
