## Kalshi Voids $54M in Trades on Khamenei Ousting, Invokes 'Death Carve-Out' After Airstrike
Prediction market platform Kalshi listed a contract allowing traders to bet on the ousting of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The market accumulated $54 million in trades. Following Khamenei's death in a US-Israeli airstrike, Kalshi voided the result and refused to pay out to traders who correctly predicted his removal. The platform's rules contained a specific 'death carve-out' clause stating that removal via death would not trigger a payout. Traders expressed fury on Kalshi's Discord, with one stating, 'Getting rugged on a 100% correct prediction because of a fine-print "death carveout" is wild,' and another accusing the company of 'stealing.' Critics argue Kalshi attempted to profit by platforming a contract involving bets on human death, then hid behind compliance language. The company had promoted the market on social media despite its nature. US Senator Chris Murphy responded, calling the situation 'insane' and announcing plans to introduce legislation to ban such markets, stating, 'People around Trump are profiting off war and death.'
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- **Source**: 
- **Sector**: The Vault
- **Tags**: prediction markets, kalshi, ayatollah ali khamenei, us-israeli airstrike, death carve-out
- **Credibility**: unverified
- **Published**: 2026-03-06 07:12:57
- **ID**: 2441
- **URL**: https://whisperx.ai/en/intel/2441