Gabriel Rodriguez / EPA
Venezuelans celebrate the fall of Nicolás Maduro
The dubious case of the mysterious bettor who “felt” that the president of Venezuela was going to be removed from office.
Nicolás Maduro left Venezuela last Saturday, by force. by the US military.
It seems that someone “felt” something like this was going to happen – and made (a lot of) money from it.
This is the dubious case of mysterious gambler who “felt” that the president of Venezuela was going to be removed from office.
The gambler invested in the prediction market 34 thousand dollars in cryptocurrencies, about 29 thousand euros, in 13 predictions about Venezuela and Maduro’s departure.
E received… more than 400 thousand dollars (341 thousand euros). For agreeing that Maduro would no longer be president of Venezuela.
A emphasizes that the bettor was not identified. Although this is not unprecedented, it raises doubts: was this someone with access to confidential information?
The questions are piling up because all these 13 bets, and all this money spent, happened only in the week of the US attack. They started on December 27th and ended on January 3rd, the day of the attack.
What’s more: all bets were related to the possibility of the US invading Venezuela and Nicolás Maduro being deposed.
It is also not known where the bettor lives, but it is known that the bettor has already raised the 341,000 euros you won – withdrawing the money you bet remains “only” 312 thousand euros.
There is no evidence of concealment or money laundering, according to a spokesperson for Chainalysis, a security analysis company. blockchain.
Some people are be able to make a fortune betting your “right guesses” on Polymarket.
In October last year, a few hours before the announcement of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, and he was sure enough to bet his money on that outcome. He made a few million dollars.
And in 2024, a few weeks before the US presidential elections, when everyone was in a technical draw, one betting on Donald Trump at Polymarket. Had a secret: I knew who was going to win, because I had done it “neighborhood surveys”.
But not all of Polymarket’s predictions turn out to be accurate. In May, a forecast indicated . It remains to be seen whether the prediction market will get the Portuguese right.
