Polymarket Founder Shayne Coplan Becomes Youngest Billionaire After $2B ICE Investment

Shayne Coplan, the 25-year-old founder of crypto prediction platform Polymarket, has entered the billionaire ranks following a landmark $2 billion investment by Intercontinental Exchange. The deal values the NYU dropout's company at $9 billion—a staggering ascent for a platform once banned from US markets.

Coplan's journey from dorm-room entrepreneur to financial phenom mirrors crypto's own rags-to-riches narrative. His platform gained notoriety during the 2024 US election by accurately predicting Trump's victory weeks before polls closed, despite operating under regulatory scrutiny.

The CFTC's 2022 enforcement action, which included a $1.4 million penalty and US user ban, failed to derail Polymarket's global expansion. ICE's bet signals institutional confidence in prediction markets—and in Coplan's ability to navigate crypto's complex regulatory landscape.