The Forbes 30 Under 30 list has long been a double-edged sword, lauding young entrepreneurs as visionaries while sometimes foreshadowing their spectacular downfalls. But according to a new series of columns by writer Bob Tacto, the so-called 'curse' has taken a far more sinister turn: from defrauding venture capitalists to plundering an entire nation.
In his first column, titled 'The Forbes 30 Under 30 Curse: From Fraud to Plunder,' Tacto revisits the familiar tales of Sam Bankman-Fried and Elizabeth Holmes, whose startups crumbled amid allegations of fraud. However, he argues that the curse's latest incarnation is qualitatively different. A politician who once graced the list as a visionary CEO now stands accused of orchestrating systematic plunder, using his Forbes honor as a shield of credibility.
The second column, 'The Unraveling of a Prodigy: From Solar Dreams to National Looting,' provides a forensic case study. It traces the arc of a young solar-energy CEO who made the 30 Under 30 list, later reinvented himself as a populist firebrand promising to clean up government. Once in office, Tacto alleges, the same individual turned state coffers into a personal piggy bank, stripping public assets on a scale that dwarfs the VC frauds of the past.
The third column, 'The Boy Who Cried Thief: How Leandro Leviste Became the Forbes 30 Under 30's Most Dangerous Disgrace,' delivers a shocking twist. Tacto draws parallels between Leviste's tactics and those of Rodrigo and Sara Duterte, accusing opponents of corruption while bypassing due process. The piece notes that the Philippine Ombudsman and the National Bureau of Investigation are currently investigating these allegations.
"We've become numb to the idea that a 30 Under 30 badge predicts a perp walk in Silicon Valley," Tacto writes. "But when that badge launders the reputation of a politician who then drains a nation's treasury, we're not talking about a 'curse' of bad luck. We're talking about a pattern of impunity that the list itself helps manufacture."
Drawing on court documents, parliamentary inquiries, and leaked financial records, the columns build a case that the former CEO-politician exploited the Forbes halo to disarm journalists, foreign investors, and even international anti-corruption bodies. By the time the looting was exposed, the damage was sovereign-level.
"This isn't just another fallen wunderkind," Tacto concludes. "It's a warning that the prestige we attach to youth and glossy magazine covers can be weaponized against entire democracies."
