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New Delhi. Polymarket, which started from a small apartment during the pandemic, has today become an $8 billion company, and its founder Shayne Coplan has become the world’s youngest self-made billionaire at the age of just 27. Once forced to sell goods to pay the rent, Coplan created a stir in the world of tech and finance through prediction markets. Despite all the legal difficulties, FBI raid and regulatory ban, he reestablished his company legally.
Inception: Shayne Coplan started Polymarket in June 2020 from his apartment on New York’s Lower East Side during the pandemic.
Inspiration: He was inspired by economist Robin Hanson’s ideas of prediction markets, which can improve society’s decision-making capacity.
Days of struggle: After leaving New York University, Shane became so poor that he had to sell his belongings to pay the rent.
From Idea to App: In 2019 he decided that this idea should not remain only in research papers. During the Covid lockdown, he started making Polymarket from the bathroom itself.
Regulatory Challenges: Polymarket had to face conflicts with US regulators several times because it was not a registered exchange. For this reason, American users were banned for a long time.
FBI Raid: A week after the 2024 presidential election, when users had bet more than $3 billion, FBI agents raided Shane’s home.
Big Deal: Intercontinental Exchange Inc., the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, in October 2025. (ICE) invested $2 billion in Polymarket, taking its value to $8 billion.
Billionaire title: After this deal, 27-year-old Shane Coplan became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Legal journey: In 2022, the company had to pay a fine of $1.4 million to settle with the CFTC, but in 2024 it re-entered the US market by purchasing QCEX for $112 million.
