Google software engineer accused of profiting over $1.2 million using confidential data on Polymarket

According to Bitcoin.com, Google software engineer Michele Spagnuolo has been charged with commodity fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, after authorities accused him of profiting from Polymarket contracts using Google's confidential data. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), prosecutors stated that he made over $1.2 million through a Polymarket account named "AlphaRaccoon." The core of the case revolves around Google's "2025 Annual Search Results."

Prosecutors claim that Spagnuolo obtained internal search ranking data labeled as "Google Confidential" and used this data to trade contracts related to the highest searched individuals and the top five searched individuals for 2025. Authorities stated that he invested approximately $2.75 million from October 15 to December 4, 2025.