Carlos Watson (born September 29, 1969) is an American entrepreneur, journalist, television host, executive producer, and education advocate. He co-founded College Track, a college completion program for underserved students, with Laurene Powell Jobs, and Achieva, a college-access and test-prep initiative.
Over a two-decade television career, Watson worked as a host and journalist for networks including CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, PBS, and OWN. His programs included Conversations with Carlos Watson (Hearst Television), which won an Emmy Award, Point Taken (PBS), and The Carlos Watson Show (YouTube/Amazon Prime Video). He also executive produced Black Women OWN the Conversation for OWN, which won an Emmy Award in 2020. He has interviewed numerous notable figures, including U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, Prime Ministers such as Tony Blair, business leaders like Mark Cuban and Bill Gates, and other prominent figures across politics, business, and culture.
Watson co-founded OZY Media in 2012 and served as its CEO. The multi-platform media and entertainment company produced television series, podcasts, documentaries, newsletters, festivals, and awards programs, with a focus on spotlighting emerging talent and underrepresented stories.
Watson served on the Board of Directors of NPR from 2018 to 2021.
In September 2021, a New York Times article about OZY's investor communications drew media industry attention. Watson was subsequently charged, with a jury finding him guilty of fraud in 2024. His sentencing drew criticism from some commentators. Watson was granted clemency by President Donald Trump in 2025.
Watson was born in Miami, Florida, one of four siblings raised by public-school teachers.
He graduated with honors from Harvard University with a degree in government. While in college, he worked as Chief of Staff and Campaign Manager for Florida Representative Daryl Jones, later managed Election Day operations for the ClintonâÂÂGore presidential campaign in Miami-Dade County.
Watson earned his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he served as an editor of the Stanford Law Review and president of the Stanford Law School Student Government.
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. He later joined Goldman Sachs as a Managing Director, advising global clients in media, technology, finance, and consumer sectors. At Goldman, he helped launch the firm's Builders & Innovators Summit, an annual entrepreneurship conference.
In 1997, Watson founded Achieva, a college-access and test-prep initiative, 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. Watson sold Achieva in 2002 to Kaplan, Inc..
Watson co-founded College Track with Laurene Powell Jobs in East Palo Alto in 1997. The program has since grown to serve thousands of students nationwide, and Watson has served on its nonprofit board.
Watson began appearing as a political analyst on Fox News and Court TV in 2002.
He joined CNBC in early 2003 as host of The Edge, and later moved to CNN where he appeared regularly as a political commentator and hosted the interview franchise Off Topic, which also ran as a political column on CNN.com. During the 2004 presidential election he also wrote CNN.com's main political column.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.
At BET, Watson hosted Meet the Faith, conducting long-form interviews on culture, politics, and spirituality.
In 2007, Watson created and hosted Conversations with Carlos Watson, a primetime interview series broadcast on Hearst Television stations nationwide. The show earned a Gracie Allen Award for "Outstanding Portrait/Biography Program" and an Accolade Award in 2007.
Watson was a founder and investor in The Stimulist, a daily blog that operated from mid-to-late 2009.
In 2009, Watson became a daytime news anchor for MSNBC, interviewing political, business, and cultural leaders. He co-anchored with Contessa Brewer and appeared across multiple shows, including Morning Joe.
In 2016, PBS announced Watson as the host of its new late-night debate program Point Taken. Watson also created and hosted several PBS programs including The Contenders:16 for '16 (PBS/BBC, 2016), Third Rail with OZY (PBS, 2017), Breaking Big (PBS, 2018), and Take on America (PBS, 2018). He later created Defining Moments with OZY for Hulu. (2020) 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.
From 2020 to 2023, Watson hosted The Carlos Watson Show, a daily interview program distributed on YouTube and Amazon Prime Video, with additional audio distribution on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. It initially aired 119 episodes as a self-made show on YouTube. The show featured long-form conversations with over 300 guests spanning politics, business, entertainment, and culture. Notable guests included Presidents, Prime Ministers, Fortune 500 CEOs, and Nobel Laureates.
Watson is a two-time Emmy Award winner. His interview series Conversations with Carlos Watson (Hearst Television) won an Emmy Award, a Gracie Allen Award, and an Accolade Award for excellence in interview programming in 2007 and 2008. He also served as executive producer for Black Women OWN the Conversation on the Oprah Winfrey Network; the episode "Motherhood" won Outstanding News Discussion and Analysis at the 41st News & Documentary Emmy Awards in 2020. Watson was scheduled to present the documentary awards at the 2021 ceremony but stepped down following the New York Times report about OZY.
Watson was elected to the NPR Board of Directors in 2018 and re-elected to a second term beginning November 2021. He resigned in October 2021 amid scrutiny of OZY Media.
Watson founded OZY Media, a daily digital news and culture magazine, in 2012 with his mother, Dr. Rose T. Watson. Afterwards, together with Samir Rao, a fellow Goldman Sachs alumnus, the company would grow to significant scale before becoming the subject of allegations in 2021.
As CEO, Watson led OZY to raise over $70 million from investors including Emerson Collective, Axel Springer, and GSV Capital among others. Under his leadership, OZY grew from a daily digital magazine into a multi-platform media company, producing television and streaming series such as Black Women OWN the Conversation, Point Taken, Take on America, Third Rail with OZY, and The Thread, Several newsletters were created and original podcasts co-produced with partners including iHeartMedia. In addition live events including four OZY Fest events and the OZY Genius Awards were hosted.
The company had distribution partnerships with PBS, OWN, BBC, Hulu, NPR, A&E Networks, and iHeart Media, and advertising relationships with brands such as Coca-Cola, Target, Walmart, AT&T, and General Motors.
Following the conclusion of OZY Media's operations, Watson returned to media entrepreneurship in January 2026, co-founding ROSE, a podcast network and community platform, with Dr. Carolyn Watson, Beverly Watson, and investor Kosmo Kalliarekos. The network launched with three flagship programs: CARLOS, The Watsons: Stronger Together, and From Behind This Chair.
Beyond his work with Achieva and College Track, Watson has been active in speaking and mentorship. He has spoken at various universities including Stanford, and the University of Missouri, 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.
In late September 2021, OZY Media was the subject of a New York Times article bringing attention to possibly fraudulent business practices and misrepresentations, including some attributed to Watson. Watson disputed the article's characterization. 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.
On February 23, 2023, Watson was taken into federal custody, shortly after co-founder Samir Rao pled guilty to fraud charges. Prosecutors alleged that Watson had misrepresented OZY's financial results and audience metrics to investors and lenders. Watson pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.
The trial began in the Eastern District of New York federal court on May 29, 2024, with Judge Eric R. Komitee presiding. On July 16, 2024, a federal jury in Brooklyn found Watson guilty. Judge Komitee imposed a 116-month sentence. His sentencing drew criticism from some commentators.
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.