OpenAI fires employees for using confidential information on prediction markets

OpenAI has fired an employee who has worked on prediction markets, including Polymarket, the company confirmed by Wired. The employee used OpenAI’s confidential information in relation to the generated product, the company says.

OpenAI did not release the employee’s name. However, a spokeswoman said doing so violated the company’s policy prohibiting employees from using insider trading for profit, including futures trading.

Prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi allow people to make bets on the outcome of real events. For example, on Polymarket, there are bets made around what kind of products OpenAI will announce in 2026 and when the company will go public. They can cover any event, and advance payments can be made. As mentioned recently, accountant won $470,300 jackpot on Kalshi betting against the DOGE believers.

Prediction markets insist that they are not gambling, preferring to call themselves financial platforms. Kalshi is a regulated exchange and, in fact, it is fined and banned the editor of MrBeast for engaging in insider trading earlier this week. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.