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Teleprompter Operator Bet on Trump’s Speeches, Fined $172K

Quick Glance at the Facts

• Gabriel Perez, Donald Trump’s teleprompter operator since 2016, won over $100K trading on the president’s speeches on Kalshi.
• After Kalshi flagged Perez’s trades, he was placed on unpaid leave while being investigated by the CFTC.
• Perez was fined $172k, including having to pay back all of his winnings from trades about Trump’s speeches.

The White House’s connections to prediction markets will be under even more scrutiny after President Trump’s teleprompter operator used inside information to win over $100,000. Gabriel Perez, who has worked as Trump’s teleprompter operator since 2016, allegedly used insider information to bet on Trump’s speeches on Kalshi. After a CFTC investigation, Perez has been fined more than $172,000 for illegal trades.

What Did Trump’s Teleprompter Operator Do?

Gabriel Perez, Trump’s teleprompter operator since 2016, is accused of using his knowledge of the president’s speeches to trade on the prediction marke Kalshi.

Perez did not trade small amounts, either.According to reports, Perez made tens of thousands of dollars trading on Trump’s speech, with some estimates putting his gains at over $100,000.

Kalshi flagged suspicious trading activity on Perez’s account and reported him to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Perez was placed on unpaid leave while being investigated by the CFTC and was later fired.

Which Speeches Did Perez Bet On?

Perez worked as Trump’s teleprompter operator for a decade, and it is unclear how many dozens of speeches he may have traded on. However, some of the speeches Perez is accused of trading on include:

●       Trump’s 2026 State of the Union

●       A primetime address in December

●       Trump’s January speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland

●       A Medal of Honor ceremony in March 2026

As the teleprompter operator, Perez was often the last person to see the final version of Trump’s prepared remarks, even making last-minute edits at the direction of the president.

Perez is not the first trader to take advantage of inside information from the Trump White House. Traders with military intelligence allegedly made over $500 million trading on Iran strikes in February.

Perez’s account had a history of backing out of markets he had previously traded. These situations appear to align with times when Trump veered away from prepared remarks on the teleprompter. As the operator with knowledge of the speech, Perez would have known if Trump’s improvisations had tanked his trades, allowing him to back out of them before the speech was over.

How Kalshi Stopped Perez’s Illegal Trading

Perez’s use of insider knowledge violated Kalshi’s terms and conditions. When the company noticed the suspicious trading activity on Perez’s account, it alerted the CFTC.

Kalshi has made efforts to crack down on insider trading in 2026. Perez’s case is just the latest example of why the prediction market needs a robust surveillance team to prevent insider trading.

Perez Fined $172K by the CFTC

Following the CFTC investigation, Perez has been ordered to pay over $172,000 in fines. For starters, he has to pay back all his ill-gotten gains, totaling $107,539.02.

In addition to paying back all his winnings, Perez must pay $65,000 in civil penalties. Paying the massive fines will be tough, as Perez was also released from his job at the White House.

How This Impacts Players

Kalshi cracking down on insider trading is great news for players, as it helps keep markets fair for all involved. However, the specific traders who lost money on the markets Perez manipulated are still out of luck. Continued incidents of insider trading from inside the Trump White House could lead to reduced market types in the future. 

GamblingNerd Take

The White House has a major financial interest in prediction markets, and Don Jr., the president’s son, sits on the board of both Kalshi and Polymarket. So, it is not surprising that someone close to the president used privileged information to wager on prediction markets. However, increased surveillance against insider traders should help prevent others from attempting the same in the future.