Suspicious bets that predicted White House press secretary selection under investigation

The American prediction market Kalshi is investigating a series of suspicious trades that predicted the appointment of Katie Zaharia as White House press secretary. Three small but precisely timed bets were placed before the official announcement, when Zaharia's odds were estimated at just 1%. Bettors are expected to earn thousands of dollars.

The American prediction market Kalshi has launched an internal investigation following a series of suspicious trades on its platform related to the selection of the new White House press secretary. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company is reviewing a sequence of trades that predicted President Donald Trump would choose Katie Zaharia for the position. At the time of the bets, Zaharia was not considered a leading candidate, and her odds on Kalshi were only about 1%. Before Trump's official announcement of her appointment, at least three small but precisely timed bets were placed. One bet is expected to yield $1,896, while two others are expected to yield $3,689 and $4,023 respectively. The article references a publication by The Wall Street Journal and includes a link to related material about Zaharia's appointment.