Tom Gardner (born April 16, 1968) is an American entrepreneur best known as the CEO and co-founder of the Motley Fool, a financial education and investment advisory company. He graduated from Brown University in 1990 with a degree in English and creative writing, and later received an honorary PhD from Strayer University in 2000. In 1993, he launched the Motley Fool with his older brother, David Gardner, to teach people about stock investing, a skill they learned from their father. Gardner is the author of the Hidden Gems and Stock Advisor newsletters, the latter of which features a friendly competition with his brother. He has also testified before the U.S. Congress advocating for greater transparency on Wall Street, and co-authored several books with David, including The Motley Fool Investment Guide and Rule Breakers, Rule Makers.