Two anonymous traders bet on the weather in Paris through prediction market Polymarket, then allegedly walked to an unguarded Meteo-France sensor at Charles de Gaulle Airport and heated it with a hair dryer. The sensor spiked several degrees in seconds - far outside anything a forecast predicted. Together they walked away with over $35,000. Polymarket paid out in full and kept the bets valid.

The Hair Dryer Heist: How Two Traders Allegedly Beat the Weather Market

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On a chilly April morning in Paris, Meteo-France meteorologists noticed something strange: a weather sensor at Charles de Gaulle Airport had spiked by several degrees in a matter of seconds - an anomaly that no nearby station could explain, and that no forecast had predicted.

A $34 Tool Against a Billion-Dollar Platform

The prediction market Polymarket allows users to bet on real-world outcomes, including whether daily temperatures in Paris will exceed set thresholds. On April 6 and April 15, 2026, the sensor readings crossed those thresholds in moments. Two traders - using the usernames "Hoaqin" and "xX25Xx" - had placed bets on exactly those outcomes at long odds. Hoaqin netted roughly $14,000 from the April 6 spike. xX25Xx walked away with $21,398 from a $119 stake on April 15 - a return of around 180 times the original bet.

The Allegation

Reports alleged someone walked up to the unguarded sensor near the airport perimeter and pointed a battery-powered hair dryer at it. The claim has not been authenticated by authorities, and no suspects have been named. What is confirmed: Meteo-France found physical signs of tampering at the sensor and filed a criminal complaint with the Roissy Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade for alteration of an automated data processing system.

Polymarket Paid Out Anyway

Despite the investigation, Polymarket chose not to cancel or reverse the bets. The contracts were settled as valid, and the traders kept their winnings. The platform quietly switched its Paris temperature data source to a sensor at the nearby Paris-Le Bourget Airport, citing concerns about the Charles de Gaulle station.

Where Things Stand

As of late April 2026, French authorities have not identified or charged anyone in connection with the sensor readings. The alleged method - if confirmed - would represent one of the most low-tech exploits in prediction market history: approximately $35,000 extracted with a tool that retails for around $34.

Source:Newsweek

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Polymarket?

Polymarket is a prediction market platform where users bet real money on the outcome of real-world events, including weather, politics, and financial markets. It operates using cryptocurrency and is based in New York, though it has faced regulatory scrutiny in the US.

How did the traders allegedly manipulate the weather sensor?

A video circulated online purporting to show someone using a battery-powered hair dryer to heat a Meteo-France temperature sensor at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Artificially warming the sensor caused it to report temperatures well above actual conditions, crossing the betting thresholds on Polymarket. Authorities have not authenticated the footage or named any suspects.

Did Polymarket refund the bets or reverse the payouts?

No. Despite the criminal investigation opened by French authorities, Polymarket chose to honour the settled contracts and did not reverse or refund the payouts. The platform did switch to a different Paris weather data source - the sensor at Paris-Le Bourget Airport - going forward.

Were the traders ever identified or prosecuted?

As of late April 2026, French authorities had not publicly identified or charged anyone in connection with the alleged sensor tampering. Meteo-France filed a criminal complaint, and the Roissy Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade opened an investigation, but no arrests had been reported.

How much did the traders win in total?

Trader xX25Xx won approximately $21,398 from a $119 stake on April 15 - around a 180-times return. A second trader using the name Hoaqin won roughly $14,000 from the April 6 incident. Combined, the two accounts profited over $35,000 from the two temperature spikes.

Verified Fact

April 6 and April 15 2026 dates confirmed via Newsweek, Euronews, NPR, casino.org, Dexerto (5 independent outlets). Trader usernames Hoaqin and xX25Xx confirmed via casino.org and brobible. xX25Xx won $21,398 from $119 stake (180x) on Apr 15; Hoaqin won ~$14,000 on Apr 6 - confirmed by casino.org. Total ~$35,000 confirmed across all sources. Meteo-France criminal complaint filed with Roissy gendarmerie brigade confirmed by Euronews and NPR. Polymarket did NOT void bets - confirmed by Euronews and egw.news. Hair dryer video circulated via Instagram @wutshappnin confirmed by Dexerto, but NOT authenticated by authorities (per Newsweek, NPR). $36,900 figure from source screenshot not confirmed by any news source - using confirmed ~$35,000 figure. No suspects named or charged as of late April 2026. YouTube video liveness confirmed (oembed check).

Newsweek