This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to “The Essays of Warren Buffett” by Warren Buffett and Lawrence A. Cunningham. Shortform has the world’s best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading. Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here. What exactly are financial derivatives? Why does Warren Buffett scorn derivatives? Derivatives are contracts between two parties in which one pays the other if some other financial instrument (for example, a stock or a bond) reaches a certain price, up or down. On derivatives, Warren Buffett famously said: “Derivatives are financial weapons of … Continue reading Warren Buffett on Derivatives: “Weapons of Mass Destruction”