The 26-year-old CEO once used the bathroom as an office: Viral retro image in the US election spotlight | On trend

“2020, out of money, sole founder, headquartered in my makeshift bathroom office. “I didn’t know Polymarket would change the world,” said Shayne Coplan, founder and CEO of crypto betting site Polymarket, which emerged as a major player in the 2024 US election season, allowing users to place bets on key election results.

Coplan, 26, shared the photo of his tiny bathroom, which showed a laptop sitting on a white laundry basket.

Check out the CEO's post:

Polymarket is a crypto-based online betting platform where people bet on events until the bet ends.

Investors include Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. Thousands of people have bet on the US election on online betting platforms.

Online election betting sites came under fire in the final weeks of the US presidential election as Donald Trump's odds in so-called “prediction markets” diverged sharply from opinion polls, causing the race to end in a dead heat.

“Make no mistake, Polymarket single-handedly called the election before anything else. The global truth machine is here, powered by the people,” Coplan said in another post on X.

Trump wins the race for the White House

Donald Trump, 78, reclaimed the White House with a stunning victory on Wednesday, defeating Kamala Harris as tens of millions of Americans looked past his criminal charges and divisive rhetoric and voted for him.

Trump won the US election after a polarizing campaign marked by two assassination attempts on his life and the late entry of Democrat Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden's surprise withdrawal.

The Republican has held roles in his administration such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the world's richest man and prominent Trump donor, and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Musk donated at least $119 million to a pro-Trump spending group, giving him extraordinary influence to help his companies get favorable treatment from the government.