Carlos Watson (journalist)

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Carlos Watson
Carlos Watson.jpg
Carlos Watson
Born (1969-09-29) September 29, 1969 (age 56)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Education Harvard University (BA)
Stanford University (JD)
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, journalist, television host, executive producer, education advocate
Known forCo-founding Achieva and College Track
Founding OZY Media
The Carlos Watson Show
Awards Emmy Award (2020)
Gracie Award (2008)

Carlos Watson (born September 29, 1969) is an American entrepreneur, journalist, television host, executive producer and education advocate. [1] [2] He co-founded College Track, a college completion program for underserved students, with Laurene Powell Jobs, [3] [4] and Achieva, a college-access and test-prep initiative. [5] [4] Watson created, hosted, and produced programs for CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and PBS. [6] He was the host of The Carlos Watson Show, a daily interview show on YouTube. [7] In 2013, he co-founded OZY media, where he served as CEO. [8]

Contents

Watson is an Emmy Award-winning producer whose interview programs earned a Gracie Allen Award. [7] [9] He has interviewed hundreds of notable figures, including Presidents and Prime Ministers such as Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Tony Blair, along with business leaders like Mark Cuban and Bill Gates. [10] He served on NPR's Board of Directors from 2018 to 2021. [11]

In September 2021, Watson became the subject of public controversy following a New York Times article by Ben Smith alleging that OZY had made significant misrepresentations to investors. In 2023, he was convicted of securities fraud and identity theft in connection with OZY Media's fundraising practices. [12] Independent reviews questioned aspects of the case, [13] and his sentence was granted clemency by President Donald Trump in 2025 [14] He has since become an advocate for criminal justice reform.

Early life and education

Watson was born and raised in Miami, Florida, one of four siblings born to parents who were public-school teachers. [15] [4]

Watson graduated with honors from Harvard University, where he studied government. [15] He worked as Chief of Staff and Campaign Manager for Florida Representative Daryl Jones, and managed Bill Clinton's 1992 Election Day effort in Miami-Dade County, Florida. [4] He subsequently earned a J.D. from Stanford Law School, [16] where he served as an editor of the Stanford Law Review and president of the Stanford Law School Student Government. [4] [17]

Career

Business career

After graduating from Stanford Law School in 1995, Watson began his career as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, working on strategy, education systems, and emerging markets. [18] After two years at McKinsey, he joined Goldman Sachs as a Managing Director, advising global clients in media, technology, finance, and consumer sectors. [18] [19] He conceived of and launched Goldman's signature annual conference for entrepreneurs called Builder and Innovators.

In 1997, Watson co-founded both Achieva, a college-access and test-prep initiative, [20] and College Track together with Laurene Powell Jobs. [21] [18] Achieva served more than 100,000 students across more than 75 school districts, including New York City, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. The initiative was featured in TIME , The New York Times , The Chronicle of Higher Education , and Stanford Lawyer for its pioneering model. [17] Watson sold Achieva in 2002 to Kaplan, Inc., a Washington Post Company subsidiary. [22] [23] College Track, a college completion program for underserved students, has grown to serve thousands of students nationwide, and Watson has served on its nonprofit board. [24] [18]

Journalism and television career

Early television work (2002-2009)

Watson began a television career in 2002 with guest appearances on Fox News and Court TV as a political analyst. [4] He joined CNBC in early 2003 with The Edge, [25] and moved to CNN later that year. [16]

For two years, he appeared regularly as a political commentator on CNN, covering the 2004 presidential election and writing CNN.com's main political column. [26] Watson also hosted Meet the Faith on BET. [25] In October 2004, Watson gave an exclusive interview with 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote speaker, then-Illinois U.S. Senate candidate and future U.S. President Barack Obama. [27] [28]

In 2007, Watson began hosting a series of one-hour primetime interview specials on Hearst Television stations across the country called Conversations with Carlos Watson, which won a Gracie Allen Award for "Outstanding Portrait/Biography Program" and an Accolade Award in 2007. [29] [30] [31] [32]

Watson was a founder and investor in The Stimulist, a daily blog that operated from mid-to-late 2009. [33] [34] [35] [36]

Watson became a daytime news anchor for MSNBC in March 2009. From June to September 2009, he hosted an 11:00 am newscast on the channel. [37]

PBS and streaming era (2016-2023)

In March 2016, PBS announced a new debate program, Point Taken, produced and hosted by Watson. [38] [39] Watson also created and hosted several PBS programs including The Contenders:16 for '16 (PBS/BBC, 2016), [40] Third Rail with OZY (PBS, 2017), [41] Breaking Big (PBS, 2018), [42] and Take on America (PBS, 2018). [43] Watson created Defining Moments with OZY for Hulu. (2020) [44] Independent reporting and court filings during this period described OZY as having generated more than $250 million in partnerships and reaching a peak valuation of more than $2 billion. [45] [46]

The Carlos Watson Show

From 2020 to 2023, Watson hosted The Carlos Watson Show, a daily interview program distributed on YouTube and Amazon Prime. [47] [48] It initially aired one-hundred and nineteen episodes as a self-made show on YouTube. [49] The show featured long-form conversations with over 300 guests spanning politics, business, entertainment, and culture. [7] Notable guests included Presidents, Prime Ministers, business leaders, and cultural figures. The program was recognized for its in-depth interview style and wide-ranging discussions on topics including current events, entrepreneurship, and social issues. [50]

Emmy Award

Watson is an Emmy Award winner having served as executive producer for Black Women OWN the Conversation for the Oprah Winfrey Network. The episode Motherhood won the Outstanding News Discussion and Analysis award at the 41st News & Documentary Emmy Awards in 2020. [51] He was scheduled to present the documentary awards at the 2021 awards show, but stepped down following the New York Times report about OZY. [52]

NPR Board service

Watson was elected to the Board of Directors of NPR in 2018. [11] On September 17, 2021, NPR announced that he was reelected to a second three-year term that would begin on November 1. [53] In the wake of allegations involving his role as CEO of OZY media, Watson resigned from the NPR board on October 1. [12]

OZY Media

In September 2013, Watson launched OZY, a daily digital news and culture magazine, [54] [55] with Samir Rao, a fellow Goldman Sachs alumnus. which would grow to significant scale before becoming the subject of allegations in 2021.

Company operations

As CEO, Watson led OZY to raise over $70 million in fundraising from investors which included Emerson Collective, [56] Axel Springer, [57] and GSV Capital [58] among others. [59] The company produced numerous television shows, newsletters and podcasts including Point Taken and [60] The Thread, [61] [62] as well as hosting several large festivals, called OZYfest. [63]

The publication expanded from a daily digital news publisher to a producer of TV shows and podcasts, with partnerships including A&E Networks, [64] iHeart Media. [65] OZY had broadcast partnerships with PBS, BBC, and NPR.

Philanthropy, mentorship, and advocacy

Beyond his work with Achieva and College Track, Watson has been active in speaking and mentorship. He has spoken at various universities including Stanford, [66] and the University of Missouri, [67] addressing topics such as entrepreneurship, media innovation, and educational opportunity. He has also participated in youth programs and mentored students pursuing careers in media and business.

Following his commutation in 2025, Watson has become an advocate for criminal justice reform, speaking publicly about his experiences with the legal system. [68] [69]

In late September 2021, OZY Media was the subject of a New York Times article [70] bringing attention to possibly fraudulent business practices and misrepresentations, including some attributed to Watson. While Watson described the article as a "ridiculous hitjob", [71] several former Ozy employees disputed that claim. [72] Questions were also raised about the omission of the New York Times reporter’s financial stake, undisclosed acquisition attempts, and personal relationships relevant to OZY. [73] [74]

Sharon Osbourne alleged that Watson had falsely claimed the couple had invested in the business. [75] Watson told NBC News's Today Show that he had referred to the Osbournes as investors because they received shares of Ozy stock as part of a legal settlement. Osbourne told CNBC that she was repeatedly offered shares in Ozy and declined all offers. [75]

Although OZY announced that it would cease operations on October 1 2021, [70] Watson on October 4 said that the company would remain in business. On February 8, 2023, OZY held a 30-minute upfront presentation in New York, promoting itself to advertisers. Watson appeared at the presentation to host a live version of his eponymous talk show. [76]

OZY, which had been valued at $159 million in 2020, announced its final shutdown on March 1, 2023, following the federal fraud charges against Watson and other executives. [77]

On February 23, 2023, Watson was arrested on fraud charges. [78] The arrest occurred shortly after Samir Rao, the co-founder and ex-chief operating officer of Ozy Media, pled guilty to fraud charges. [79] Prosecutors alleged that Watson had engaged in a scheme to defraud Ozy's investors and lenders by misreporting financial results and audience metrics. [80] Watson pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing,[[]] vowing to fight charges. [81] [82]

Trial and conviction

The trial began in federal court in New York on May 29, 2024, with Judge Eric R. Komitee presiding. [83] The trial's venue was questioned by some, given that the company was headquartered in California. The trial involved allegations of Watson misrepresenting OZY's financial status, including a 2021 incident where Watson's deputy impersonated a YouTube executive during a fundraising call with Goldman Sachs. [84] [85] Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified that while Google had considered potentially investing $25 million in OZY, no $600 million acquisition offer was made. Watson testified in his own defense. [86]

On July 16, 2024, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Watson and Ozy Media of fraud. [86] Judge Komitee imposed a 116-month sentence for fraud and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors stated that Watson masterminded a scheme that caused "tens of millions of dollars" in investor losses. [87] Watson maintained his innocence and remained free on a $3 million bond while planning to challenge the verdict.

Clemency and regulatory closure

In March 2025, President Donald Trump granted full executive clemency to Watson and OZY, formally concluding all federal matters shortly before Watson was to report to prison. That same year, the Securities and Exchange Commission formally closed its inquiry without action, stating the allegations lacked regulatory basis. [88] [89]

Independent commentary

The case attracted commentary from various sources. David Robinson, a professor at Duke University, published an analysis, Conflict, Bias and the Railroading of Carlos Watson which was critical of aspects of the proceedings.[ [90] and Brian O'Connor of the Bay State Banner wrote legal analysis examining the inequities surounding the trial. [91]

In addition, filmmaker Candice Conley released The Troubling Case of Carlos Watson (2024–2025), a documentary that raises questions about several alleged improprieties, including Judge Komitee’s undisclosed financial ties to some of the victims. [92]

References

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