Google Engineer Accused of Using Internal Data for Bets
On May 28 at 6:00 PM, federal prosecutors in the United States charged Google engineer Michele Spagnolo with exploiting internal company data to place bets on the Polymarket platform. According to a criminal complaint, he earned approximately $1.2 million by correctly predicting that singer d4vd would become the most searched person on Google in 2025. Spagnolo now faces charges of commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
The Google employee accessed marketing materials through a tool available to all staff members. However, a company spokesperson stated that
“using confidential information for betting is a serious violation of company policy.”After the breach was discovered, Spagnolo was suspended from his job pending an investigation.
Fallout and New Rules on Polymarket
Separately, in March of this year, the Polymarket platform introduced new regulations aimed at curbing insider trading. This move signals growing concerns over the ethics of betting based on non-public information. Google has confirmed it is cooperating with law enforcement authorities in the case.
This incident highlights the critical need for ethical standards in the tech and finance sectors, especially as data is increasingly used for commercial gain. The charges against Spagnolo could have serious repercussions not only for him personally but also for Google’s reputation as the company strives to uphold high standards of privacy and business ethics.