FBI Seizes Polymarket CEO's Phone, Electronics After Betting Platform Predicts Trump Win

The FBI raided Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan's Manhattan apartment, seizing his phone and electronic devices. A source close to the matter told The New York Post it was politically motivated due to Polymarket's successful prediction of Trump's election win. It's 'grand political theater at its worst,' the source said. 'They could have asked his lawyer for any of these things. Instead, they staged a so-called raid so they can leak it to the media and use it for obvious political reasons.'

Although no charges were filed, the raid has sparked controversy, with speculation of political retribution and concerns over potential market manipulation, as Polymarket faces scrutiny both in the U.S. and from French regulators. The New York Post reports: Coplan was not arrested and has not been charged, a Polymarket spokesperson told The Post on Wednesday evening. 'Polymarket is a fully transparent prediction market that helps everyday people better understand the events that matter most to them, including elections,' the rep said. 'We charge no fees, take no trading positions, and allow observers from around the world to analyze all market data as a public good.'

Coplan posted on X after his run-in with the feds: 'New phone, who dis?' Polymarket does not allow trading in the US, though bettors can bypass the ban by accessing the site through VPN. The FBI's investigation comes a week after Coplan said Polymarket is planning to return to the US. In 2022, the online gambling platform was forced to pause its trading in the US and pay a $1.4 million penalty to settle charges with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that it had failed to register with the agency. [In France, regulators are investigating Polymarket's compliance with national gambling laws, with concerns about unauthorized gambling activities within the country.] A Fortune report published a week before the election found widespread evidence of wash-trading on Polymarket. 'Polymarket's Terms of Use expressly prohibit market manipulation,' a Polymarket spokesperson told Fortune in a statement.

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