I got some good inside info once. I bought a stock for ~$0.50 and rode it for a while and kept in touch with the shareholder services department. It shot up to $1.25. I sold and felt like a genius. I called the shareholder people and asked which of their other companies (the management company managed several penny stock companies.) I should invest the profit into. He told me (insisted?) I should be in the company I just sold. I couldn't justify buying back in at a price higher than I had just sold at and waited. Stock hit $4 and I finally bit the bullet. I quickly rode it to $13 and bailed. It peaked at ~$16. I could kick myself for not staying in the whole ride. Still made quite a few bucks.
I don't think the info was illegal. It was his job to attract investors. I do suspect he knew the info that was driving the stock so high.