OpenAI Fires Employee for Polymarket Insider Trading

OpenAI fired an employee this week after discovering they used confidential company information to trade on prediction markets like Polymarket, violating internal policies against insider trading, the artificial intelligence giant confirmed to Wired.

Violating OpenAI’s Insider Trading Policies

While OpenAI chose not to disclose the identity of the terminated worker, a company spokesperson emphasized that the individual’s actions directly violated corporate policy. This strict directive explicitly prohibits staff members from leveraging proprietary or insider information for personal financial gain, with specific clauses covering activity on prediction platforms.

The Rise of High-Stakes Prediction Markets

Platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi have surged in popularity, allowing users to wager on the outcomes of diverse real-world events. On Polymarket, active bets currently target future corporate milestones, including the specific products OpenAI will launch in 2026 and the exact timeline for the company’s highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO).

These platforms host speculations on nearly any topic, occasionally yielding massive payouts. For example, a recent high-profile trade saw an accountant secure a $470,300 payout on Kalshi by betting against Dogecoin enthusiasts.

A Crackdown on Information Leaks

Rather than classifying themselves as gambling websites, these prediction markets market themselves as legitimate financial platforms. Kalshi, which operates as a regulated exchange, has recently taken aggressive steps to protect its integrity. Earlier this week, the platform fined and banned an editor associated with YouTuber MrBeast over similar allegations of insider trading.

OpenAI has not yet responded to requests for further comment regarding the termination or the specific nature of the leaked data.