A hair dryer made someone $34,000 richer

[Euler]

A hair dryer at a Paris airport broke Polymarket weather markets & made someone $34,000 richer

Polymarket was settling Paris temperature bets on a single Météo France sensor sitting near the Charles de Gaulle runway perimeter - basically unguarded.

The guy bought the long-shot outcome (like "22°C" when everyone expected 18°C) for pennies, since nobody thought it'd hit. Then he walked up to the probe and briefly heated the air around it with a portable heat source, spiking the reading just long enough to register as the daily max

Temperature snapped back to normal in minutes, the market resolved in his favor, and he cashed out - twice, on April 6 and April 15, before Météo France caught on and filed charges.

[ShaunWhite]

"pennies" to make 34 grand? For just 4 degrees more? What price was it and who offered 34 grand on the other side to make pennies.

I'm not sure this passes the sniff test.

[jamesedwards]

I'll meet you outside Heathrow on 25th December. Bring your snow machine!

[Euler]

Seems genuine: -

Météo France files criminal complaint: up to 7 years in prison

Météo France confirmed it:

Conducted physical observations on one of its instruments (signs of tampering detected)
Performed a detailed analysis of sensor data
Filed a formal criminal complaint with the Roissy Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade
The offense falls under Article 323-2 of the French Penal Code: “alteration of the functioning of an automated data processing system.” The standard penalty is 5 years imprisonment and €150,000 fine. Since Météo France is a public institution, aggravated penalties apply: 7 years in prison and €300,000 fine.

Additional charges for fraud (Article 313-1) and trespassing into a protected zone could follow.

[wearthefoxhat]

Seems genuine: -

Météo France files criminal complaint: up to 7 years in prison

Météo France confirmed it:

Conducted physical observations on one of its instruments (signs of tampering detected)
Performed a detailed analysis of sensor data
Filed a formal criminal complaint with the Roissy Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade
The offense falls under Article 323-2 of the French Penal Code: “alteration of the functioning of an automated data processing system.” The standard penalty is 5 years imprisonment and €150,000 fine. Since Météo France is a public institution, aggravated penalties apply: 7 years in prison and €300,000 fine.

Additional charges for fraud (Article 313-1) and trespassing into a protected zone could follow.

They sound a bit pissed they weren't part of the betting coup!


Might be more to the story....

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