Google employee charged with fraud after winning $1.2m on Polymarket
A Google employee has been charged with fraud after allegedly winning $1.2 million by betting on Google trends at the gambling site Polymarket. Michele Spagnulo, who worked as an information security engineer, is accused of using insider information to place bets under a pseudonym. He faces multiple charges, including commodities fraud and money laundering, and has posted a $2.25 million bond following his arrest in New York.
- ▪Michele Spagnulo allegedly used insider information to win $1.2 million on Polymarket.
- ▪He faces charges of commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
- ▪Spagnulo was arrested in New York and has posted a $2.25 million bond.
9 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 42 hours. Coverage spans 2 points on the political spectrum — 1 lean left, 7 centre.
- ▪ Google engineer arrested for using internal search data to win $1.2 million on Polymarket — TechSpot
- ▪ A Google engineer is facing federal charges after allegedly using his employer’s confidential data to pocket $1.2 million on Polymarket — Fortune
- ▪ Google employee charged with using search data to make $1.2 mil on Polymarket — Korea Times
- ▪ Google engineer charged with using inside information to win $1.2M on Polymarket — Crypto Briefing
- ▪ Google worker charged for using internal data to make $1.2m on Polymarket — BBC News — Tech
- ▪ A Google employee allegedly used inside information to win $1.2 million on Polymarket — The Verge
- ▪ Google Employee Charged For Alleged Polymarket Bets - The Information — Google News
- ▪ Google employee charged with using inside information to make $1M on Polymarket — ABC News — Top
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| Original publisher | Boing Boing |
| Canonical URL | https://boingboing.net/2026/05/27/google-employee-charged-with-fraud-after-winning-1-2m-on-polymarket.html |
| Publication time | Thu, 28 May 2026 00:05:29 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-28T00:22:00.995Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-28T00:22:00.995Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Google employee charged with fraud after winning $1.2m on Polymarket Rob Beschizza 5:05 pm Wed May 27, 2026 Michele Spagnulo presenting at TedxLakeComo A Google employee was charged with fraud wednesday after allegedly winning $1.2m betting on Google trends at gambling site Polymarket. Michele Spagnulo, 36, used insider info and a pseudonym, prosecutors say, to run the table. Arrested in New York, he faces counts of commodities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, according to a federal criminal complaint [PDF, justice.gov]. ABC News' Aaron Katersky and Katherine Faulders report that he has posted a $2.25m bond.
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