Charles Payne

Charles Payne has done what every American has always dreamed of doing: He started from scratch and climbed his way to the top. Charles was brought up in a poor, broken family in Harlem, New York, and was bullied nearly every day on his walks to and from school. Today, he has more than 30 years of successful Wall Street experience under his belt and is widely recognized in the media as a well-known financial commentator and thought leader.

Charles’ unique story is proof that anyone can achieve their dreams as long as they have the drive to make it happen. According to Charles, the American Dream has been lost. People no longer save money the way they used to and no longer strive to reach their goals. His goal is to break through that way of thinking. Charles’ passion is to spark the fire in people that will get them up off the couch and on their way to making money. Why? Because to Charles, the American Dream is anything but dead.

With his hardworking, can-do attitude and deep-rooted beliefs in American capitalism, Charles has gone on to forge his own path on Wall Street. He began his career as an analyst at E.F. Hutton in 1985 and went on to found independent stock market research firm Wall Street Strategies in 1991, working out of his apartment with just $10,000 in startup capital. Serving as chief executive officer and principal analyst, Charles was able to win Wall Street Strategies a national reputation as a provider of timely and effective equity advice. In May 2007, Charles’ first book, Be Smart, Act Fact, Get Rich, was published.

A few months later, Charles joined Fox Business Network (FBN) as a contributor. In June 2014, he became the first African American lead anchor with a prime-time show on FBN when his very own show, Making Money with Charles Payne, was launched. The show airs every weeknight at 6 p.m. ET. Charles also is a regular contributor to Fox News Channel (FNC), where he frequently appears on investing shows including Cashin’ In, Cavuto on Business and Bulls and Bears. He can also occasionally be seen hosting Varney & Co.

Prior to starting his career on Wall Street, Charles enlisted in the United States Air Force. During his time in the service, he attended Minot State College and Central Texas College.

Not only has Charles achieved his dream, he has also helped many other Americans reach their financial dreams as well. That is his mission, and Charles continues to use his influence to help the everyday investor create a better life.