Do traders who place big bets make big money?

The podcast explores the world of options whales, large traders who make significant bets using options contracts. It highlights the recent surge in options trading, driven by the availability of weekly and daily options. While institutions use options to protect investments, some whales engage in speculative activities, as explained by Amy Wu Silverman from the Royal Bank of Canada, and Mike Ko, founder of Open Interest Pro. Matt Sancombe, CEO of Unusual Whales, discusses how his firm tracks unusual options activity, including a $74 million bet on Taiwan's semiconductor stock that went wrong. The conversation also touches on potential insider trading related to political announcements, such as the pausing of tariffs by President Trump, and the conflicts of interest faced by members of Congress trading stocks.