Carson Block
Carson Block is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Muddy Waters Research, an activist investment firm utilizing an investigative financial journalism-based strategy. Carson is a high-profile investor and short seller who has made a name for himself for exposing suspicious companies and shorting them for profit. He is best known for his takedown of Sino-Forest, which ultimately led hedge fund billionaire John Paulson to lose millions and eventually sell out of the stock. Prior to founding Muddy Waters, Carson was a lawyer in Shanghai with international law firm Jones Day, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions and foreign direct investment in China.
Carson Block Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Founder and Chief Investment Officer
Academic History
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J.D., Law
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B.S., Business
Carson is one of the most featured short-seller and fraud-sniffing icons.
He is known for documenting and alleging fraudulent accounting practices in Chinese, European, Canadian, and U.S. companies.
He rose to prominence in 2011 with a report on Sino-Forest Corp. overstating their timber holdings. The stock plunged 78% in days.
EARLY CAREER
Carson started his career in investment banking before moving to China to start his self-storage business for high-end consumers.
He co-founded Zer0es TV, an internet video channel dedicated to informing investors about the mechanics and processes of short-selling.
In 2011, he was recognized by Bloomberg Markets as one of the 50 Most Influential in Global Finance
He was featured in the book, The Most Dangerous Trade: How Short Sellers Uncover Fraud, Keep Markets Honest, and Make and Lose Billions, by former Bloomberg writer Richard Teitelbaum.
He co-authored Doing Business in China for Dummies, a primer on doing business in China.
MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS
Carson appears frequently as a commentator on Bloomberg TV, CNBC, and the BBC.
He has written op-eds in The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and The New York Times on topics related to corporate governance and market transparency.
He has also been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Reuters, Yahoo! Finance, Barron's, Fox Business, The Economist, and Institutional Investor.
He has appeared in MarketWatch and Real Vision, among others.