The Frauderful Wizard of Ozy
Carlos Watson, a charismatic, fast-rising media figure, strives to build a new kind of digital media company.
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- (00:00) - The Ozzy Media Controversy Begins
- (04:51) - Carlos Watson's Early Life and Career
- (07:47) - The Birth of Ozzy Media
- (08:51) - Challenges in Digital Media
- (15:05) - Ozzy Media's Rise and Partnerships
- (23:12) - The Beginning of Ozzy Media's Downfall
- (29:48) - The Goldman Sachs Incident
- (32:00) - The Aftermath and Public Reaction
- (40:55) - AOC and Aaron Judge: Ozzy's False Claims of Discovery
- (42:28) - Investigations and Media Strategy
- (43:38) - Ozzy's Short-Lived Comeback and Legal Troubles
- (48:18) - The Trial Begins: Prosecution's Case
- (58:44) - Watson's Defense and Testimony
- (01:05:13) - Verdict and Sentencing
- (01:06:01) - Commutation and Aftermath
- (01:07:34) - Lessons and Reflections
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Sources:
- From kindergarten delinquent to star [The Hill]
- From Silicon Valley to CNN [Stanford Lawyer via Wayback Machine]
- Get to know Carlos Watson [Blast Magazine via Wayback Machine]
- Ozymandias [Wikipedia]
- About Ozy [via Wayback Machine]
- WGBH to debut ‘Point Taken,’ a new late-night debate TV show taped in Boston [Boston.com]
- A Bunch Of Digital Publishers Bought Cheap Traffic And Later Found Out It Was Fraudulent [BuzzFeed News]
- Exclusive: OZY hits profitability on $50 million in revenue [Axios]
- Goldman Sachs, Ozy Media and a $40 Million Conference Call Gone Wrong [NYT]
- Ozy’s board starts an investigation after a Times report raises questions about the company. [NYT]
- Ozy Built a TV Show on a False Claim, Says Its Former Producer [NYT]
- Ozy Media’s chairman resigns as company faces questions. [NYT]
- Sharon Osbourne says Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson lied when he claimed the Osbournes invested in his company [CNBC]
- Ozy says it’s great at discovering big names before the mainstream media. But is it? [Nieman Lab]
- How Ozy Media, a startup with $70 million in funding and a star-studded list of investors, collapsed in 6 days [Fortune]
- How Ozy fell [Axios]
- 18-hour days and panic attacks: Former Ozy staffers allege an abusive environment [CNN]
- Ozy Media CEO claims his scandal-ridden company will reopen, but doesn’t explain how [CNBC]
- Ozy Media’s Watson on path forward: We’re going to have to change substantially [CNBC]
- Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson: 'This Is Our Lazarus Moment' [Today via YouTube]
- After Ozy’s Carlos Watson Talks of a Comeback, a Key Investor Objects [NYT]
- Let Me Tell You What It Was Like to Work at Ozy [NYT]
- Ozy Media Is A Monumental Bummer [Defector]
- Ozy Media Faces Federal Investigations [NYT]
- Carlos Watson Has a Cold [Puck]
- Latest NewsOzy Media CEO Carlos Watson Says a Fun Redesign Is on the Horizon [Tech Bullion via Wayback]
- Article About the New, ‘Ethical’ Ozy Media Appears to Have Been Written by a Fake Journalist [Vice]
- Media company Ozy is attempting a comeback [Semafor]
- Ozy Media and Its Founder Carlos Watson Indicted in a Years-Long Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme [DOJ]
- SEC Charges Ozy Media and its CEO Carlos Watson with Widespread Scheme to Defraud Investors [SEC]
- U.S. v. Carlos Watson, Ozy Media, Inc. [Indictment]
- Ozy Statement, March 1, 2023 [X/Twitter]
- Ozy Media Shuts Down After Founder Carlos Watson Charged With Fraud, Identity Theft [Variety]
- Scenes from the trial of Ozy’s Carlos Watson [Nieman Lab]
- Carlos Watson, Founder and Former CEO of Ozy Media Inc., Convicted of Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme [DOJ]
- Carlos Watson, Founder and Former CEO of Ozy Media Inc., Sentenced to 116 Months in Prison for Leading Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme [DOJ]
- The Unraveling of Ozy Media [CJR / The Kicker]
- The Exhibits [CJR]
- The Wizard of Ozy [Slate]
- Looking For Closure At Carlos Watson’s Sentencing Hearing [Defector]
- Alice Marie Johnson [Wikipedia]
- Trump Commutes Ozy Media Founder’s Sentence Just Before His Surrender [NYT]
- Hours Before His Surrender, Ozy Media’s Carlos Watson Has His Sentence Commuted By President Trump [Deadline]
Creators and Guests

Host
Caleb Newquist
Writer l Content at @GustoHQ | Co-host @ohmyfraud | Founding editor @going_concern | Former @CCDedu prof | @JeffSymphony board member | Trying to pay attention.
