OpenAI has confirmed the termination of an employee for their activity on prediction markets, including Polymarket. The company alleges the individual used confidential internal information in connection with trades made on these platforms.
While OpenAI did not release the employee’s name, a spokesperson stated the actions violated a clear company policy. This policy prohibits workers from using inside information for personal gain, specifically including activity on prediction markets.
Prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi allow users to place wagers on the outcomes of real-world events. For example, current markets include bets on what products OpenAI will announce in 2026 and when the company might go public. These platforms can cover any event, and significant sums of money can be won. Recently, an accountant won a jackpot of over $470,000 on Kalshi by correctly betting against the value of the cryptocurrency DOGE.
Prediction markets often insist they are not gambling sites, preferring to be classified as financial platforms. Kalshi is a regulated exchange and earlier this week fined and banned a MrBeast editor for similar alleged insider trading on markets related to the YouTube star. OpenAI did not provide additional comment beyond its initial confirmation.