Nearly Twice the Initially Reported Amount
Created 7 Accounts in October During the Presidential Election for Betting
An anonymous gambler who successfully predicted the outcome of the U.S. presidential election and won a huge sum of money is reported to have earned nearly double the initially known amount, totaling $85 million (approximately 119.5 billion KRW).
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 13th (local time) that the anonymous gambler, nicknamed the 'Trump whale,' who succeeded in the election prediction betting, had actively placed bets by creating seven additional Polymarket accounts. Polymarket is the world's largest betting site based on cryptocurrency. Its popularity has surged recently as users have flocked to place funds on the U.S. presidential election bets over the past few months.
However, Polymarket is a French platform and is known to be inaccessible directly to U.S. citizens. The Trump whale’s account name on Polymarket, where bets were placed on President-elect Donald Trump, is 'Freddy 9999.' But according to Polymarket’s strict anonymity policy, the industry has more commonly referred to him by the nickname Trump whale. He placed bets with movements that seemed almost certain of Trump’s victory.
According to blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis, the Trump whale operated as many as 11 accounts on Polymarket. Among these, seven were created in October, when the election voting took place. The betting profits were initially reported as $48 million (approximately 67.4 billion KRW), but the actual amount the Trump whale took is estimated to be $85 million.
The Trump whale remains shrouded in mystery, having refused media interview requests. However, as foreign media reports continued, he eventually exchanged emails with a WSJ reporter and even agreed to a video interview.
In the interview, he referred to himself as 'Theo' and admitted that the total earnings of $85 million were correct. However, he explained, "For my own safety and to reduce the disruption to my privacy if my identity is ever revealed, I understated the scale of my bets."
He also repeatedly emphasized that he placed the bets alone and that all betting funds were self-financed. The Trump whale said, "I have enough money and was confident in my analysis," adding, "I have nothing more to say. Honestly, I am a bit tired of all this."
The Trump whale, a French citizen, said he worked as a trader at a global bank and has also worked in the United States.
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