Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson is guilty of fraud
Carlos Watson and the now-shuttered Ozy Media startup he cofounded were found guilty of fraud by a federal jury on Tuesday, as reported earlier by The New York Times. Over the course of a several-weeks-long trial, the jury heard the government’s claims that Ozy Media misled investors by falsifying financial records, inflating audience numbers, and even making up business deals.
Watson, the former CEO of Ozy Media, cofounded the company alongside Samir Rao in 2013. The company launched an online magazine, newsletter, and an annual conference in New York City, all while striking high-profile partnerships and receiving millions in investments.
But things came to a halt when a 2021 article from New York Times media columnist Ben Smith...