Swiss resident is accused of betting on the ‘Top 5 Most Searched People on Google 2025’ when knowing the outcome
The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York has filed charges against a Google employee for using inside information to place bets on Polymarket.
The charges announced on Wednesday are in response to a complaint filed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CTFC) accusing a resident of Switzerland of using confidential information to place bets on the CFTC-regulated prediction market platform for personal gain.
Swiss resident Michele Spagnuolo, a Google employee with access to confidential company information, is accused of using that information to bet on who would be named as the most searched individual of 2025.
The US Attorney’s Office alleges that Spagnuolo used non-public information to place approximately $2.75 million worth of bets on the outcome of Google’s “Year in Search”, which reveals the top trending searches of the year.
Spagnuolo is said to have earned more than $1.2 million profit from his bets on who would or would not appear in the “Top 5 Most Searched People on Google 2025”.
The top five people of 2025 were announced in December, with the supposed singer and suspected child rapist and murderer D4vd (David Anthony Burke) taking the top spot.
D4vd took the top spot after the dismembered remains of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez were discovered in a bag in the trunk of his car in September 2025.
Spagnuolo is charged with commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in relation to his bets, which carry maximum prison terms of 10 and 20 years. A warrant for his arrest has been issued.
“As I have said repeatedly, the Commission will not tolerate fraud, manipulation, or insider trading, regardless of the technology or platform that is used,” said CFTC chairman Michael Selig. “Today’s action further underscores our commitment to rooting out insider trading and promoting market integrity in prediction markets.”
US Attorney Jay Clayton commented: “Today’s charges reinforce a decades-old message: corporate insiders cannot use confidential business information to turn a profit in our markets.
“As alleged, Spagnuolo violated the duties he owed to his employer and used Google’s confidential business information to make more than $1.2 million in trading profits on Polymarket. Insider trading compromises the integrity of our markets, and the American people want this greed-driven conduct investigated and prosecuted.”