Some Insider Trader Better Call their SEC Lawyer ASAP

Every once in a while, a trade comes across the tape that makes you stop, shake your head, and say: “There’s no way that was just luck.”

That’s exactly what happened when one options contract lit up the tape, turning $.57 into $2.88 in just a single session. On paper, that’s a 400%+ return in less than 24 hours. But the real kicker? Someone wasn’t playing with chump change. The total size of the trade turned into an eye-popping $20,000,000 windfall in a single day.

Yes—you read that correctly. Twenty. Million. Dollars.

And this wasn’t just any trade. It was one that caught fire immediately after Larry Ellison made headlines announcing that they would be involved with WBD (Warner Bros. Discovery). Within minutes, the chatter started. By the time the dust settled, this exact option flow was even being mentioned on CNBC, with traders across the globe watching in disbelief.

The Anatomy of a Monster Trade

Here’s how it went down.

The Setup: A large block of call options hit the tape at just $.57 per contract. To the average retail trader, that looks like a lottery ticket—cheap premium, low probability. But this wasn’t your $570 dabble into weekly YOLOs. This was institutional size. Serious money.
The Catalyst: Not long after, Larry Ellison drops the bombshell about ties with WBD. The market reacts instantly. Shares spike, and the option premium explodes.
The Payoff: Those same contracts that were scooped for under sixty cents are now worth nearly five times as much—trading up to $2.88. Multiply that across the enormous open interest, and the math spits out a staggering $20 million profit in a single session.

That’s not “a good trade.” That’s surgical precision, perfectly timed with insider-level knowledge.

Coincidence? Or Something More?

Whenever I see something like this, I ask myself the same question:

👉 Was this luck?

👉 Or was this inside information at work?

Let’s be real. The average retail trader doesn’t drop millions on an out-of-the-money call option the day before breaking news hits the wire. They don’t magically predict which CEO is about to make an announcement that re-rates the stock.

And yet, here we are again: the same story on repeat. Massive options sweeps hit, the news follows, and someone pockets generational wealth in a blink.

You don’t need to be an SEC investigator to know something doesn’t smell right. Hence the headline: Some insider trader better call their SEC lawyer ASAP.

Why CNBC Talked About It

It’s rare that unusual options activity gets mentioned on national TV. But this one was too blatant to ignore. CNBC anchors pointed out the suspiciously timed options flow right after the Ellison/WBD news broke.

The trading community exploded with speculation:

“Who knew what, and when?”
“How does this kind of order size get approved?”
“Where was compliance?”

And while the financial media danced around the legality, retail traders everywhere saw the writing on the wall. If you’re not watching institutional order flow, you’re trading blind.

The Edge That Can’t Be Ignored

This trade proves the core truth I’ve been preaching for over a decade:

💡 Follow the money, not the headlines.

The institutions, hedge funds, and “connected” traders aren’t waiting for CNBC to report the story. They’re making their moves before the story becomes public. And if you’re only looking at charts, fundamentals, or lagging technicals—you’re the sucker at the table.

The $.57 to $2.88 moonshot isn’t about luck. It’s about access. Access to information. Access to order flow. Access to the game before it’s played on TV.

Why Retail Keeps Losing

Let’s cut the fluff. Retail traders lose because:

They chase news after it breaks.
They rely on lagging indicators that institutions laugh at.
They ignore the footprints that smart money leaves in the options market every single day.

Meanwhile, insiders and whales are:

Positioning hours or days before announcements.
Loading up on contracts that explode in value when catalysts hit.
Walking away with seven-, eight-, and even nine-figure paydays.

This $20 million score is just the latest in a long list.

How I’ve Built a Career on This

When I was a floor trader at the CBOE, I didn’t survive by guessing. I survived by reading order flow. Watching size, timing, price, and sweeps hit the tape—and knowing what it meant.

That exact edge is what I’ve since turned into a suite of scanners, live trading rooms, and systems now licensed by the CBOE itself. Over the years, my community and I have tracked countless trades just like this—sometimes before the media catches on.

And while not every trade turns into $20 million overnight, the pattern is always there:

Big money moves in.
News follows.
Retail asks, “How did they know?”

The SEC Question

Let’s be honest. Should the SEC investigate this trade? Absolutely. Will they? Maybe. Maybe not.

We’ve seen plenty of cases where suspicious trades came under scrutiny. Sometimes the hammer falls. Other times, it’s brushed under the rug. But one thing never changes: by the time regulators get around to investigating, the money is already made. The insiders are already on their yachts. And retail? They’re still scratching their heads.

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What Traders Should Learn

Instead of crying foul (even though it is foul), smart traders should take the right lesson: stop trading in the dark.

You can’t control what insiders know. But you can track what they do. Every time an institution loads millions into a call option, it leaves a footprint. If you’re not scanning for it, you’ll miss it. If you are scanning, you can ride the wave with them.

That’s why I built my scanners. That’s why CNBC even bothers mentioning unusual options activity on air. Because it matters. It moves markets. And it makes fortunes.

$20 Million in a Day—The Proof You Can’t Ignore

Think about that number again: $20,000,000. In one day. From one options contract.

How many paychecks would it take you to make that kind of money? How many years? How many “buy and hold” investments would need to compound to hit that?

This wasn’t Warren Buffett buying Coca-Cola for 30 years. This was one perfectly timed bet. And whether it was insider info, dumb luck, or a hedge fund shark, the takeaway is the same:

👉Follow the order flow, or get left behind.

Final Word

So yes, some insider trader probably needs to call their SEC lawyer. And yes, CNBC may keep pretending this is all just coincidence.

But if you’re a trader reading this, here’s the truth:

These trades happen every week.
They’re visible in the options market before the headlines.
And if you’re not watching, you’re missing the single biggest edge available to retail traders today.

I’ll leave you with this: If you could’ve turned $.57 into $2.88 overnight with the right scanner, would you want access to it?

I already know the answer.

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