A Google employee has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering after allegedly profiting from insider information related to the company’s upcoming "Year in Search" report for 2025. Michele Spagnuolo, an information security engineer at Google, reportedly made $1.2 million through bets placed on Polymarket, speculating on which individual would become the most searched person that year.
The legal complaint states that Spagnuolo used nonpublic information to make his bets, specifically knowledge that the singer-songwriter d4vd would be the top search result. This individual, who was later implicated in a murder investigation, was ranked as the most searched person in December 2025. Google indicated that Spagnuolo accessed confidential marketing materials using standard employee tools but emphasized that using this information for betting violates company policies.
In response to the allegations, Google has placed Spagnuolo on leave and is cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation. The company's statement underlined their commitment to addressing such breaches seriously.