Carlos Watson (journalist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carlos Watson
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Watson in 2013
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| Born | September 29, 1969 |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) Stanford University (JD) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, journalist, television host |
| Known for | Founding Ozy Media |
Carlos Watson (born September 29, 1969) is an American entrepreneur, journalist, and television host. He started a media company called Ozy Media in 2013. He was also a host on TV shows like The Carlos Watson Show.
In 2023, Carlos Watson faced legal issues related to his company. He was found guilty of lying to investors about Ozy Media's financial health. He was sentenced to prison, but his sentence was later changed by President Donald Trump in March 2025.
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Early Life and School Years
Carlos Watson was born and grew up in Miami, Florida. His parents were from Jamaica, and he was one of four children.
He went to Harvard University for his college degree. After that, he studied law at Stanford Law School. While at Stanford, he was an editor for the Stanford Law Review. He also led the student government there.
Carlos Watson's Career Journey
Starting Businesses
After finishing law school in 1995, Watson worked at a company called McKinsey & Company. Two years later, he helped start a company called Achieva College Prep Service. This company helped students get ready for college. In 2002, he sold Achieva to another company called Kaplan, Inc.
He also helped start College Track in 1997. This organization helps students from low-income families get into and finish college.
Working in Journalism and TV
Carlos Watson began his TV career in 2002. He appeared on news channels like Fox News and CNN to talk about politics. He covered the 2004 U.S. presidential election for CNN.
He also hosted a show called Meet the Faith on BET. In 2004, he interviewed Barack Obama, who later became the U.S. President.
In 2007, Watson hosted a series of interview shows called Conversations with Carlos Watson. These shows won awards for being great programs.
He became a news anchor for MSNBC in 2009. Later, in 2016, he hosted a debate show on PBS called Point Taken.
Watson was also on the Board of Directors for NPR, a public radio organization. He resigned from the NPR board in October 2021. He also helped produce a show called Black Women OWN the Conversation, which won an Emmy award.
Founding Ozy Media
In September 2013, Carlos Watson started Ozy Media with Samir Rao. Ozy was a digital news and culture magazine.
As the CEO, Watson helped Ozy Media raise over $70 million from investors. The company grew from just a news website to also making TV shows and podcasts. Ozy worked with big companies like A&E Networks and IHeartMedia.
Watson also hosted many of Ozy's TV shows and events called Ozy Fest.
In September 2021, a New York Times article raised questions about Ozy Media's business practices. It suggested that Ozy might have given wrong information to investors. Following this, Ozy Media announced it would close down in October 2021. However, Watson later said the company would stay open.
Ozy Media eventually shut down on March 1, 2023. This happened after legal charges were brought against Watson and other leaders of the company.
Legal Challenges and Outcome
In February 2023, Carlos Watson was arrested on charges of fraud. This happened shortly after Samir Rao, Ozy Media's co-founder, admitted to similar charges. Prosecutors said Watson had lied to investors and lenders about Ozy's financial health. Watson said he was not guilty.
His trial began in May 2024. During the trial, the CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai, testified. He said that Google had not offered to buy Ozy Media for $600 million, as some had claimed.
On July 16, 2024, a jury found Carlos Watson and Ozy Media guilty of fraud. In December 2024, Watson was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison. Prosecutors stated that Watson had created a plan that caused millions of dollars in losses for investors. They said he and his team made up details about Ozy Media's money, famous connections, and possible sales to get investments.
However, in March 2025, President Donald Trump changed Watson's prison sentence. This happened just hours before Watson was supposed to go to prison. Watson still says he is innocent and plans to challenge the jury's decision.
