The Most Disgusting Influencer Campaign of 2026

Turn your idea into a real business. Start your Shopify store today at https://shopify.com/fern (ad) Join our newsletter: https://roots.watchfern.com/ This is the story of how journalists uncovered a secretive social media campaign designed to lure young Americans to the Polymarket prediction market platform. It’s largely based on investigations by The Wall Street Journal and Politico. Please check them out: https://www.wsj.com/business/media/polymarket-social-media-bets-prediction-market-441cdeb5 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/05/polymarket-paid-political-influencers-00932789 Watch Christophe’s Tunnel Vision video about prediction markets: https://youtu.be/E_V7m_lnybY?si=WZK4CIgd2JZtY_NB Special thanks to Katherine Long at The Wall Street Journal plus Maya Kaufman and Jason Beeferman at Politico. Also thanks to Ted Bradford. Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JgxiXi_2MymH2aj_MPpoOcD9hps_sr0CiutSd2BmtE8/edit?usp=sharing Music list: Artlist: Jeremy Chontow - Hive Mind Colten Tyler Williams - Gathering Naski - Hunt Semo - Timepiece Damon Power - All the Way Tom Fox: Pointelle - Trailer Version False Treaty Funky Beat Bed Curious Piano 1 Urgent Times Marksmen Epidemic Sound: Forces of Nature - Marten Moses The Search for More - Alec Slayne Pardon My French - Eva Hummingbird Hairpin Loop - Marten Moses Trace - Lennon Hutton Linkage - Marten Moses Finding Dawn - Marten Moses The One Who Almost Got Away - Marten Moses Disappearances - Marten Moses Lens Distortions: Glacier Landing - Bass _____ Armchair documentaries, almost weekly