Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll is an American former prisoner in California's San Quentin State Prison, released from serving a sentence of 54 years to life for murder. He has earned the nickname "Wall Street" and "The Oracle of San Quentin".[1][2][3] Curtis Wall Street Carroll has been featured in numerous publications like the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, BBC[4] and NPR.[5]
Curtis Carroll | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Known for | FEEL—Financial Empowerment Emotional Literacy |
| Title |
|
| Term | 54 years to life |
| Criminal charge(s) | Burglary, murder |
| Criminal status | Released from San Quentin Prison, California |
| Website | https://projectfeel.org/ |
Early life
editCarroll was born in Washington, D.C. and later moved to East Oakland, where he grew up.[6] His mother was a waitress at a bowling alley and the family was often on welfare. He later befriended his mother's drug dealer, who taught him to steal quarters from arcade machines. Carroll was eventually caught and sentenced to juvenile hall.[2]
Prison
editCarroll was arrested for murder in 1996 when he was 17. He surrendered to police and was sentenced to a minimum of 54 years with a maximum of life.[7] He was illiterate when he was imprisoned but learned to read and write at the age of 20.[2][7]
Carroll became interested in the stock market after realizing its financial potential. He learned about the markets through newspaper financial sections.[6][7] He got his start investing in penny stocks by cashing in unused postage stamps he bought with revenue from his tobacco sales to other prisoners.[8]
Carroll was transferred to San Quentin Prison in 2012.[2]
Financial literacy courses
editCarroll along with fellow inmate Troy Williams, started the Financial Literacy Program. Together they created F.E.E.L (Financial Empowerment Emotional Literacy),[7][8] a project Carroll gave a TED talk about in 2019.[9] As of September 5, 2024, Carroll's TED (conference) has 4.2M views on YouTube.[7][10]
Carroll has taught a financial literacy class with Zak Williams, the son of comedian Robin Williams and a graduate of Columbia Business School. The class educated inmates on how they can develop skills applicable to life outside prison.[3] He has been called the "Oracle of San Quentin", and when asked in 2017, Carroll was optimistic Donald Trump’s presidency would stimulate the economy.[11]
In 2023 Curtis Carroll was featured in Forbes magazine.[12]
Philosophy
editCarroll's philosophy is that most crime is attributed to a lack of financial security, which has led him to teach other San Quentin State Prison inmates about the stock market.[2][7][12][13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "San Quentin Prison Inmate Curtis Wall Street Carroll on Donald Trump". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Hill, Catey. "Murderer turned stock picker is 'Oracle of San Quentin'". MarketWatch. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ a b Segall, Laurie (August 4, 2015). "Robin Williams' son and San Quentin inmate teach finance behind bars". CNNMoney. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ "Curtis Carroll, el asesino que enseña a invertir exitosamente en Wall Street desde la cárcel". BBC News Mundo. August 20, 2015.
- ^ "Curtis Carroll: What Can You Learn About Life When You Have A Life Sentence?". NPR. December 20, 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
- ^ a b Carroll, Curtis (2017). "The Last Mile: Paving the Road to Success" (Interview). Interviewed by Sway Calloway. Sirius XM. as presented in Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll is a Stock Expert Serving Life in Prison (Flashback). Vlad TV. May 21, 2019. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c d e f "Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll: Financial literacy advocate (profile)". TED (conference). Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ a b Glunt, Richard. "Overcoming Financial Illiteracy: The Curtis Carroll Way". MoneyWise. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ "Curtis Carroll: What Can You Learn About Life When You Have A Life Sentence?". WAMU. December 20, 2019.
- ^ Carroll, Curtis (May 18, 2017). How I learned to read – and trade stocks – in prison (video) – via YouTube.
- ^ San Quentin Prison Inmate Curtis Wall Street Carroll on Donald Trump. KNTV (newscast). January 3, 2017.
- ^ a b Mathis, Toby (September 22, 2023). "What A Prisoner At San Quentin Prison Can Teach You About Financial Security". Forbes.
- ^ "Curtis Carroll: What Can You Learn About Life When You Have A Life Sentence?". NPR. December 20, 2019.