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- Polymarket enabled people to place bets on Fong ‘s pregnancy, leading to controversy over privacy and ethics.
- Buterin criticized Polymarket and described the bet as an invasion of Fong’s privacy and “tasteless.”
- The event leads to many ethical questions concerning privacy, involving one’s consent, and accountability within online betting.
The online prediction betting platform Polymarket created controversy on April 17, 2025, over a bet on the pregnancy of influencer Tiffany Fong. This followed rumours that had circulated that Elon Musk had asked Fong to get pregnant and give him a child. Even Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin criticized the move and said it was tasteless and an invasion of Fong’s privacy.
These rumours emerged in the media, especially after the Wall Street Journal reported that Musk offered Fong to impregnate him. The two had been in contact with one another via private messages and on the social media platform, Twitter, for some time.
It was also reported that Fong declined the chance and thus was blocked by Musk. After this, her revenue-sharing deal with Musk is said to have been discontinued. As soon as news of her pregnancy appeared in the headlines, tabloid sites started speculating about her pregnancy.
Polymarket’s Controversial Bet
Thus, Polymarket capitalized on the speculation by approving a market in which users could participate to bet on whether Fong was pregnant or not. To amplify the dramatic impact, the platform employed an AI-generated image in which the figure with the face swapped for Fong’s is pregnant and standing in front of the White House. This appears to support Musk with the current government, which fuels the rumors and controversy.
Buterin, an advocate of privacy, was one of the first to express criticism of the bet. He further said that Polymarket was ahead of most in engaging in devoted demonstrations and arguments of personal matters. He stated that the bet was so embarrassing and was invading the privacy of Fong. It has elevated the ethics of betting with other people’s lives.
Before the allegations and the pregnancy rumors were out, she was on the case of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried. These interviews offered valuable information aiding the Department of Justice in the case against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried . Continued speculations on her relationships also emerge from her performances when she is interacting with other personalities, such as Musk and Buterin.
Legitimacy of Prediction Markets
Earlier, Polymarket faced criticism for allowing contentious events, including wars or natural disasters, to be considered as bets. The last bet raised debate on the propriety of so-called online prediction markets. Critics have claimed that platforms such as Polymarket should set limits for themselves and should not benefit from other people’s suffering.
This raises concerns of privacy, consent, and responsibility related to social media in the modern world. As the Polymarket and similar platforms grow, the criticisms of the betting market are also rising. The implications of this controversy would stretch far in establishing the future of prediction betting.
