Gabriel Perez, a former teleprompter operator at the White House, has made significant gains by trading 39 out of 43 Trump mention contracts, amassing over $107,000 in profits. This information comes from a recent order issued by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
As part of a settlement, Perez has agreed to return $107,539.02 in profits, pay a civil penalty of $65,000, and accept a three-year ban on trading activities. This resolution follows an investigation that became public in July, leading to Perez being placed on administrative leave and eventually departing from his federal position after it was revealed that he had gained substantial profits from Trump-related markets using insider information.
The CFTC noted that Perez received a significantly reduced penalty due to his “extraordinary cooperation” during the inquiry. He promptly participated in an interview and provided relevant documents, which led to a nearly 40% decrease in his civil penalty, surpassing the standard 25% reduction typically available under the agency’s enforcement cooperation policy.
Perez, who served as a technical advisor to Trump and managed the teleprompter during public events, had access to the president's prepared remarks approximately one hour before they were delivered. He opened his Kalshi account on December 8, 2025, focusing primarily on sports and Trump mention markets.
The CFTC's findings revealed that Perez traded in markets associated with various Trump events, including the State of the Union address and the World Economic Forum. During his interview, Perez acknowledged that he would review the prepared speeches and utilize that information to buy contracts based on specific phrases. On one occasion, he adjusted his trades after noticing Trump had deviated from the prepared remarks.
Overall, Perez's trading activities yielded profits on 39 out of 43 contracts, totaling $107,539.02. The CFTC concluded that the information Perez accessed through his role was confidential and that federal ethics regulations prohibit the use of nonpublic government information for personal financial gain.
This case adds Perez to a growing list of traders under federal scrutiny for activities in prediction markets. Earlier this year, the CFTC took action against former U.S. Representative George Santos for manipulating a Kalshi market, resulting in a $35,000 order. The agency has also pursued significant insider trading cases involving Polymarket, including actions against a U.S. Army servicemember and a Google employee.