He’s conquered Wall Street, the Fed, the White House, plus TV and radio screens for more than 40 years. Fox Business Network’s Larry Kudlow has seen markets rise and fall only to rise again from thriving free markets.
Unlike all his contemporaries, Kudlow’s had a front row seat to the markets from nearly every possible side of business. It’s what has helped shape his wit, humor, and humble grace across the decades.
“I was with Reagan. I was with the New York Fed before then. And I was on Wall Street before and after,” Kudlow recalled. “But I was always a commentator on media. That’s how it got started, particularly when business came to cable.”
From the Fed to the White House
From the late ’70s on, outlets were always calling Kudlow because “I had a point of view. I was a free market guy.” It also helped that he “enjoyed doing it.”
During this time, he was also working at the New York Federal Reserve. “I learned a lot at the Fed. I had great jobs, particularly in open market operations, which is the monetary arm,” Kudlow declared.
He later joined President Ronald Reagan’s administration, where his experience spanned far beyond any business role. “I learned my politics from Ronald Reagan,” Kudlow affirmed. “And to this day, it’s stood me well.”
With the phone still ringing for media appearances, Kudlow left the White House for Wall Street and a gig at Bear Stearns and later became a founding member of the board of advisors for the libertarian think tank group Independent Institute.
Humble about all he accomplished before turning 50, Kudlow simply said his hard work “all just accumulates to a body of knowledge, what I would call real-world knowledge.”
Building a Media Empire
Kudlow landed his first show in 2001 on CNBC, before heading back to the White House in 2018 in President Donald Trump’s first administration as the director of the National Economic Council.
At the end of Trump’s first term, Kudlow joined Fox Business in his 4 PM ET time slot. “Fox Business has become a real powerhouse,” Kudlow acknowledged. “Fox Business is now the number one-rated business network. And in fact, I’ll just say this with gratitude that our show is the number one-rated show.”
In fact, during 2025, Kudlow held the top business news program, with more than 280,000 viewers. His show has beaten the competition by nearly 70%.
He sees “business is [being] reported like never before,” and it’s great. “It’s not only the stock market, but it’s big stories, and there are so many of them.”
“The Iranian war is part of business stories with the energy crisis and the Naval blockade, squeezing out Iran and starving them. There’s always a business angle is what I’m saying.”
So in a world full of explosive political news, there is one simple reason Kudlow encourages everyone to tune into business news. “It affects their daily life,” Kudlow said.
“There’s at least 135 million Americans who are in the stock market one way or another. IRAs, 401ks, brokerage accounts, pension funds,” he added. “[Business news] affects jobs, employment. People like to know the outlook, what’s going on that might impact their lives, their kitchen tables, their wages.”
Free Markets, Free Opinions
With his eyes on the stock market and political movements, it reaffirms his belief that the best economy is a free market economy. “I believe in low, low tax rates and deregulation, and I think when those policies are put into place, you get maximum economic performance.”
Not one to shy away from sharing his opinions, he noted, “When [the market goes through] dry spells, I call it big government socialism. You get minimum economic performance. And I think that historical record shows that perfectly.”
“I have opinions. That’s probably the understatement of the world,” Kudlow jested. “I have opinions. And I’m not bashful about putting them out there. I have political opinions. I have markets, you know, economic opinions.” It’s all based on his hard work on and off camera, working in two different administrations, multiple TV networks, and on Wall Street.
For those who might be intimidated or shy away from business news, Kudlow makes it easy to understand and digest by “creating a story that makes sense using numbers, my own opinions, even some humor.” He noted, “I like to tell stories, and I think that helps people to understand and get away from the technical stuff.”
On Saturdays, Kudlow also hosts a three-hour radio show on 77 WABC, where storytelling is key to keeping the audience. He doesn’t believe the way he tells stories changes as the medium does.
“I’m just as much of a wise-guy on both,” Kudlow joked. “I have a sense of humor.”
Work Hard, Stay Optimistic
Kudlow’s free-market ideas have shaped businesses and policy, but he gave two nuggets of advice that can shape success for up-and-coming generations: work hard and be an optimist.
“I would speak to all the White House interns and I would always tell them the same thing, work hard. And when you think you’re working hard, you have to work even harder,” Kudlow said.
It’s advice that he follows to this day. “I have worked six days a week, virtually my entire career, including right now, and I’m no spring chicken. I’m working on Fox Monday through Friday, and I’m doing radio on Saturdays.”
Kudlow attested, “That’s what you need to do to succeed, and when you think you’re working hard, that’s probably the time you have to work even harder. It’s the best advice I could possibly give anybody.”
“I’ve always been an optimist my whole life, including the ups and the downs. I’ve always been optimistic, and I think optimism is the only way to go.” He added, “I think the combination of very hard work and an optimistic worldview is just a fabulous combination for success.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Krystina Alarcon Carroll contributes features and columns for Barrett Media. She has experience in almost every facet of the industry including: digital and print news; live, streamed, and syndicated TV; documentary and film productions. Her prior employers have included NY1 and Fox News Digital and the Law & Crime Network. You can find Krystina on X (formerly twitter) @KrystinaAlaCarr.
He thinks Trump is a great president.