🔍How this was checked: The bot searched the web, cross-referenced 3 sources, and assessed each claim individually.
The post accurately reports on a criminal complaint unsealed by federal prosecutors in New York on May 27, 2026. Multiple reputable news outlets confirm that Google software engineer Michele Spagnuolo was charged with using confidential internal search data to place highly profitable bets on Polymarket, netting approximately $1.2 million.
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A software engineer at Google unlawfully used confidential company information.Confirmed. Federal prosecutors allege that Michele Spagnuolo, a Google information security engineer, misappropriated confidential, nonpublic internal data tracking user searches to inform his bets.
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He made a series of bets that won him about $1.2 million on the online prediction market Polymarket.Confirmed. According to the criminal complaint and DOJ press release, Spagnuolo placed roughly $2.7 million in bets on Polymarket (under the username 'AlphaRaccoon') regarding Google's 'Year in Search' rankings, resulting in over $1.2 million in profits.
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The Justice Department alleged this in a criminal complaint.Confirmed. The allegations were detailed in a federal criminal complaint unsealed in New York on May 27, 2026, as reported by CNN, The Washington Post, and ABC News.
Caveats
The allegations are currently just that—allegations in a criminal complaint. The engineer has been charged but not yet convicted in a court of law.
Posted on Bluesky
True. Federal prosecutors charged Google engineer Michele Spagnuolo on May 27, 2026, for allegedly using confidential internal search data to place bets on Polymarket, earning roughly $1.2 million. The case is pending and he has not been convicted.