cannot believe that buffet sold a complex option ...

Discussion in 'Wall St. News' started by mind, Nov 24, 2008.

  1. mind

    mind

    it is impossible to determine whether that was a great
    trade or not if you don't have the deal specifics and thus
    can derive whether the options was priced accurately.

    just because it sounds like a good trade means zero
    nothing nill. that is what these options are all about:
    hide some factual, out of current market derived probs
    under some astonishingly sounding umbrella.

    my point is that WB made his money in a very different
    way and always criticized complex derivatives. now he
    is selling exactly such an option and i dare say that you
    really have to be careful with these options. a friend of
    mine created one, that had a very hidden feature, that
    would have made the other guy owe you an infinite
    amount of money at about 5% probability. not easy to
    see at the surface. i am trying to say that selling such
    an option is risky by itself. plus it is very long term and
    you run a lot of counterparty risk. plus it was a quite
    significant bet. plus. plus. plus. all these add up to
    question WBs judgement.
     
    #11     Nov 24, 2008
  2. mind

    mind

    you'd better know the game very, very well to get into
    this playground. many have burnt the fingers up to
    their shoulders in these great trades ... it is not an easy
    thing to detect the weak spots in such structures. from
    what i know you have many accurately priced issues
    in there and one that is heavily overpriced, providing
    the structurer's profit.
     
    #12     Nov 24, 2008
  3. why not?

    much of buffett stuff is a myth, anyway.

    the house thing always cracks me up--the guy has several estates around the world ( as he should ) however the average guy act is getting old!!

    surf
     
    #13     Nov 24, 2008
  4. I don't think he uses a cell phone either. :D

    [​IMG]
     
    #14     Nov 24, 2008
  5. sellvol

    sellvol

    What makes you think they are going to sit on their hands and pray that their position is positive in 2019? Whoever bet against Buffett is up huge on vol and deltas and is likely locking in profits as we speak while Buffett eats shit. LOL

    I know hindsight is 20/20 but his trade was a train wreck. Do not think differently even for a moment.
     
    #15     Nov 24, 2008
  6. What is so complex about selling an SPX put, other than the fact that its a non-standard expiration.
     
    #16     Nov 24, 2008
  7. Only an idiot would buy a 13 year option, especially at these volatility levels.
     
    #17     Nov 24, 2008
  8. you idiots can't even do basic research.

    nothing said here makes a bit of sense.

    fwiw , Buffet has more brains in his earlobe than the lot of you have in your heads.
     
    #18     Nov 24, 2008
  9. 100% agree. Also agree that it is a very strange bet for Mr. Financial Weapons of Mass Destruction to make. That it expires long after he will be dead is also...curious.
     
    #19     Nov 24, 2008
  10. Could the timing of this have been any better?

     
    #20     Nov 24, 2008