A Google software engineer based in Switzerland has been charged by U.S. prosecutors for allegedly using confidential internal search data to make $1.2 million through prediction market trades.
Federal authorities say Michele Spagnuolo, an Italian citizen working at Google, accessed nonpublic information tied to Google’s 2025 “Year in Search” results and used it to place highly profitable bets under the alias “AlphaRaccoon.” Prosecutors claim he wagered on which public figures would become the year’s most searched names before the data was released publicly.
According to court filings, the scheme involved bets on unexpected names, including rapper D4vd, whose odds were considered near zero before later becoming Google’s most searched person of the year after a major criminal case drew global attention.
Authorities say Spagnuolo also placed bets against high-profile figures expected to rank highly, including Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV.
The U.S. Justice Department charged him with commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. If convicted, he could face decades in prison. Google said it is cooperating with investigators and confirmed the employee has been placed on leave.