Ozy Systems
- Founded
- 2013-01-01 in Mountain View, California, USA
- Headquarters
- Mountain View, California, USA (defunct)
- info@ozysystems.com
OZY Media was an American digital-media and entertainment company founded in September 2013 by Carlos Watson and Samir Rao. Based in Mountain View, California, it operated the website ozy.com and a daily newsletter, positioning itself as a curator of emerging trends in politics, culture, technology, and business. The company raised over $80 million from prominent investors including Laurene Powell Jobs, Axel Springer, GSV Capital, and Marc Lasry, and at its peak claimed $50 million in 2020 revenue with partnerships such as Dentsu. However, a September 2021 New York Times investigation exposed widespread fraud, including fabricated board members, inflated audience numbers, and forgery. The board voted to shut down shortly after, though Watson briefly kept the site alive. In 2023 federal charges were filed, leading to Watson's conviction and a 116-month prison sentence, later commuted by President Trump in March 2025. Co-founder Rao and chief of staff Suzee Han pleaded guilty. OZY Media never operated in the iGaming or gambling sector.
Detailed Review
OZY Media launched in September 2013 as a digital magazine and daily email newsletter, quickly gaining attention for its focus on diverse, rising voices. It secured $5.3 million in seed funding from Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective, with additional backing from Ron Conway and Louise Rogers. In 2014 German publisher Axel Springer invested $20 million, and later rounds included GSV Capital ($10 million Series B in 2017) and Marc Lasry ($35 million Series C in 2019). OZY expanded into TV with a PBS series “The Future of…” and original video content, and built a slate of live events such as OZY Fest.
Despite these high-profile partnerships, the company’s operations were built on deception. The September 2021 New York Times report detailed that OZY fabricated a fake board member, exaggerated viewership numbers, and had chief operating officer Samir Rao impersonate a YouTube executive on a call with Goldman Sachs. Advertiser backlash was immediate: GroupM and Dentsu suspended campaigns, and several investors sued. The board announced a shutdown on October 1, 2021, but Watson reversed the decision days later, keeping the site online with a reduced board.
In February 2023 a federal grand jury indicted Watson, Rao, and chief of staff Suzee Han on charges of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. The company ceased operations on March 1, 2023. At trial in 2024, Watson was convicted on multiple counts; Rao and Han had pleaded guilty. Watson received a 116-month prison sentence, commuted in March 2025 by President Trump.
OZY’s legacy is a cautionary tale about the pressure to grow fast in the media startup space. It never operated in the iGaming/gambling industry, and its products (newsletters, articles, videos) have no bearing on that vertical. The domain ozy.com now redirects to a curated archive of selected content.
Key Products
OZY.com
The flagship website, originally a daily digital magazine and newsletter covering politics, culture, tech, and entertainment. Now a static archive.
OZY Newsletter
A daily email curating news and opinions.
OZY TV
Television and video content, including a PBS series 'The Future of…'.
OZY Fest
A live music and ideas festival held in New York’s Central Park.
OZY Genius Awards
A grant program for college students, funded by Laurene Powell Jobs.
Offices & Headcount
150 employees (approx.)