Michele Spagnuolo, an Italian citizen working as a software engineer at Google and living in Switzerland, has been charged in the United States for allegedly using confidential company information to profit from online prediction-style betting.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Spagnuolo accessed internal Google search data and used it to place bets on outcomes related to Google’s annual “Year in Search” rankings. Authorities say he traded under the name “AlphaRaccoon” and wagered millions of dollars across multiple markets tied to the results.
Investigators allege that he placed bets worth around $2.75 million and made profits exceeding $1.2 million after correctly predicting outcomes that were not yet public. One of the most notable claims is that he bet on an indie pop artist, d4vd, becoming the most-searched person of the year shortly before the official data was released.
Federal prosecutors have charged him with commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. They say the actions involved misuse of non-public corporate information for personal financial gain.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that insider trading in any form undermines trust in financial systems and will be prosecuted regardless of where it occurs.
Google confirmed that the employee has been placed on leave and said it is cooperating fully with law enforcement. The company described the alleged actions as a serious violation of internal policy.
The platform involved in the case also stated it worked with investigators during the probe, saying it supports fair and transparent market practices.
Authorities say the case is part of a wider crackdown on the use of confidential information in emerging digital betting and prediction systems.
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