{Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and does not present itself as the truth. Learn to take a joke; you’ll live longer.} The international “prediction market” company Polymarket’s market (what the company calls a bet) on US President Donald Trump praising Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Syed Asim Munir once every 36 hours for the next 10 days, has ballooned to USD 9.8 million. At the time of the filing of this report, the “Yes” shares on the Polymarket exchange were being offered at USD 0.76 per share, indicating a 76% of betters’ belief in the likelihood of the event taking place.
“Yes, I know it’s a rare thing for the US president to be so effusive in his praise and what not,” said New York-based longtime betting entrepreneur Luigi “The Knife” Gambioni. “But hey, if the shoe fits.” The market on the President’s behaviour was placed when, on Friday, he posted on the Truth Social social networking site: “Thank you to Pakistan and its Great Prime Minister and Field Marshall, two fantastic people!!! This post follows the development from the day before, when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt interrupted a question at a press briefing by saying:“I just want to make one point that’s important to the President.
The Pakistanis have been incredible mediators throughout this process and we really appreciate their friendship and their efforts to bring this deal to a close.” Some within the Democrat party, however, call foul on the market. “I have a strong reason to suspect the President is making these statements just to induce a bet on sites like Polymarket and Kelshi, and then to game this whole market,” said US representative for New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez . “You just see.
I think he’s going to drive the market all the way up to USD 25 million, and the “Yes” buys at 90 percent, and then not praise the Pakistanis. In fact, he just might blame the Pakistani establishment for playing a double game with the US in Afghanistan.”