Polymarket’s Secret Influencer Army

Between January 2025 and February 2026, Polymarket’s chief marketing officer, Matthew Modabber, funneled at least $350,000 to dozens of prominent content creators. Payment records indicate these transactions—often sent from a personal account linked to a side business—reached over 800 individuals, totaling more than $2.5 million. While the company maintains these collaborations are standard business practice, the lack of transparency suggests a coordinated effort to manufacture authority. At least 20 identified creators posted about the platform nearly 500 times without disclosing their financial ties, frequently presenting betting odds as authoritative political forecasts.

The campaign targeted a broad ideological range, including conservative voices like Alex LoRusso and Riley Gaines, as well as progressive commentators like Brian Krassenstein. Influencers were often provided with specific scripts, instructed to frame the platform’s data as "breaking" updates on everything from mayoral races to government shutdowns. Experts argue this practice skirts Federal Trade Commission guidelines, which mandate clear disclosure of material connections between endorsers and advertisers. As Polymarket maneuvers to establish itself as a legitimate fixture in the U.S. political landscape, its reliance on undisclosed promotion underscores a high-stakes strategy to build credibility through the very influencers who claim to offer unfiltered truth.