Rick Santelli

Rick Santelli
Name	Rick Santelli
Birth date	01 July 1956
Birth place	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Education	University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (B.S.), University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign College of Business
Occupation	Television reporter, financial commentator
Years active	1977–present
Employer	CNBC

Rick Santelli

Rick Santelli is an American financial journalist and on‑air commentator known for his work on CNBC and for a widely publicized on‑air monologue in 2009. He has been a contributor to business coverage involving markets such as the Chicago Board of Trade, discussions of mortgage-backed security markets, and reporting on policy debates involving the Federal Reserve and United States fiscal policy. Santelli’s commentary has intersected with American political movements, financial institutions, and media organizations.

Early life and education

Santelli was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in the Midwestern United States region during the postwar era. He attended the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and economics from the Gies College of Business. During his collegiate years he engaged with campus organizations and regional finance forums that connected to commodity trading at the Chicago Board of Trade and professional networks including the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD). After graduation he completed training and licensing pathways enabling work with firms dealing in derivatives and fixed income instruments such as Treasury bond and mortgage-backed security markets.

Career at CNBC

Santelli joined CNBC in 1999 after prior work in institutional trading and operations at firms linked to Chicago Mercantile Exchange activities and proprietary trading desks. On CNBC he served as a senior correspondent focusing on the Chicago Board of Trade, covering futures contracts including corn, soybean, and wheat commodities plus financial products tied to interest rate movements and Treasury auctions. He appeared regularly on programs alongside anchors from Squawk Box, Fast Money, and Closing Bell, providing market color during events such as the 2008 financial crisis, European sovereign debt crisis, and episodes of heightened volatility like the Flash Crash of 2010.

His reporting often referenced regulatory frameworks and institutions including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Santelli’s on‑air persona combined market expertise with pointed commentary; he interviewed policymakers, central bankers from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and executives from firms such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan Chase. His tenure at CNBC connected him with financial journalists and commentators including Maria Bartiromo, Becky Quick, and Jim Cramer.

2009 "Tea Party" rant and political impact

On February 19, 2009, Santelli delivered an impromptu live monologue from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange criticizing Treasury and Federal Reserve policy responses to the 2007–2008 financial crisis, specifically addressing mortgage relief programs and proposals associated with the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The remarks included a call for a "Chicago Tea Party," which was rapidly amplified by conservative commentators and activist networks such as Tea Party movement organizers and media outlets including Fox News and The Wall Street Journal. Prominent political figures and commentators — including leaders connected to FreedomWorks, activists who later affiliated with Citizens for a Sound Economy offshoots, and elected officials in the Republican Party — cited the episode during debates over fiscal policy and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The monologue spurred grassroots gatherings and influenced the branding of numerous rallies that referenced the Boston Tea Party as a symbolic antecedent; it was discussed on cable networks and in op‑eds by editors from publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post. Scholars in political science and media studies examined the incident in analyses of modern protest movements, framing it within studies of astroturfing, grassroots mobilization, and the role of financial media in political discourse.

Views, commentary, and public controversies

Santelli’s commentary spans critiques of central banking strategy, skepticism toward expansive fiscal interventions, and support for market‑based solutions, prompting both praise and criticism from commentators across the political spectrum and columnists at outlets such as Bloomberg News, The Atlantic, and Los Angeles Times. He has debated topics with economists and public intellectuals affiliated with institutions including the Cato Institute, American Enterprise Institute, Brookings Institution, and Harvard University.

Controversies have included disputes over accuracy, tone, and the boundary between journalism and advocacy; his 2009 remarks prompted congressional attention from members of the United States Congress and commentary from President Barack Obama’s administration. Santelli has also criticized regulatory initiatives tied to the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and spoken about reserve banking policy in contexts involving the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank responses to sovereign debt crises.

Personal life and affiliations

Santelli resides in the Chicago area and has participated in civic and professional organizations connected to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange community and alumni networks at the University of Illinois. He has been affiliated with business conferences featuring speakers from Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and investment firms such as BlackRock and Vanguard. Santelli’s public profile has led to invitations to speak at events sponsored by think tanks, trade associations, and media platforms including NPR, PBS, and commercial forums run by Dow Jones and Reuters.

Category:American financial journalists Category:CNBC people