> For example, is there no way that the call options could be purchased on the other side by a friendly party that is a participant in the game? This is very h

> For example, is there no way that the call options could be purchased on the other side by a friendly party that is a participant in the game? This is very hard to do (read effectively impossible) as an individual person and not an institution. Trades, especially options, go through a brokerage/market maker. As an individual, there's no way to tell your brokerage to sell "these contracts" to "this person". Which means you would have create "the sale of call option contract" as physical paper? I'm doubtful that's even possible. After you have to manually sell it. It still needs to be declared as a security transfer/sale[0]. THEN you would need to back that contract with the stocks that likely still sit inside a brokerage. The "other participant" would have to then exercise that contract which would "pull" the stock from your account to the "participant's" account.... Would this be done in a brokerage? all outside? Seems impossible as a regular person. For institutions there is such thing as block trades that happen outside of market, but they're specifically licensed/authorized to do this. [0] https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-sell-my-shares-to-a-particular-person https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-sell-my-shares-to-a-particul...