Most Traders Watch Price. I Spent 28 Years Watching One Thing They Never See.

The article describes a former trader’s path through decades of options and futures flow trading, and how pivotal market shifts and personal strain shaped his career. The author, who joined the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) floor in 1997 and later worked at a bond proprietary trading firm, says he positioned for rising bond volatility as the Federal Reserve prepared for rate changes. He claims that in 2008 he made more than $4 million trading volatility, but the 2008 Financial Crisis triggered a major loss when a single oil trade allegedly put $15 million at risk out of $32 million capital. He says the firm’s capital fell to $18 million overnight and that he experienced constant headaches and multiple hospital visits. In 2011, the proprietary options firm he partnered in for seven years was sold, leaving him jobless. He then described stepping back and completing a Wisconsin Iron Man 140-mile triathlon, while still seeking involvement in high-activity work.