Polymarket and Kalshi Have a Problem with Nepo Baby Insider Trading - The Story

About this episode

The episode discusses the intersection of prediction markets, insider trading, and college betting culture, featuring insights from investigative reporter Katherine Long.

What do frat boys, nepo babies and the Super Bowl have in common? Prediction markets. Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Katherine Long tells us how information from Jeff Bezos's stepson sparked a bet worth nearly a million dollars, and how a rumor loosely tied to Mark Wahlberg's daughter sent $24 million into a single market. And why college kids are betting in the first place. Kalshi and Polymarket have been quietly making themselves at home on college campuses, paying fraternities for new sign-ups, handing out branded beer pong sets, and recruiting influencers to spread the word. The pitch to students: this is just a fun way to make money off what you already know. With over $10 billion in monthly trading volume and almost no regulatory oversight, Polymarket and Kalshi are no longer a niche corner of the internet. Additional Reading:  ‘Is This Insider Information?’ The Prediction Market Bets Driving a Campus Frenzy - WSJ   EXCLUSIVE  NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/techstuff Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Guest: Katherine Long

Topics covered

• prediction markets
• insider trading
• college betting
• financial markets
• investigative journalism

Keywords

• prediction markets
• insider trading
• college betting
• Katherine Long
• Polymarket
• Kalshi
• Super Bowl
• Jeff Bezos
• Mark Wahlberg

Sponsors

NordVPN

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Polymarket, Kalshi, Wall Street Journal

Places: college campuses

More episodes of TechStuff

• The Internet Found a Way to Monetize Reality Itself. It's Going Exactly as You'd Expect - Week in Tech · June 12, 2026 · 49 min
• The Secret Stanford Off-Campus Class for Tech’s Next Titans - The Story · June 10, 2026 · 42 min
• Shell Game: Me and My Scammer · June 8, 2026 · 38 min
• Blue Origin Rocket Explodes in Apocalyptic Mushroom Cloud - Week in Tech · June 5, 2026 · 47 min
• The Man Building the Last AI Humans Will Need to Design - The Story · June 3, 2026 · 35 min
• Inside the Octagon: How AI Brings UFC’s Fastest Moments into Focus · June 2, 2026 · 47 min