They Looked Like They Were Getting Rich on Polymarket—but None of It Was Real

The prediction market has flooded social media with deceptive videos by paid creators, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation

In his videos, George Makihara appears to have a lucrative side hustle making bets on Polymarket.

In January, the college student posted a video that showed him winning $100,000 on a wager that President Trump would publicly say the word “McDonald’s” that month.

The bet was one of 145 that Makihara appeared to place on Polymarket’s website between January and mid-May, based on his videos—bets adding up to almost $410,000.

But none of those bets were real, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation.