The Forbes 30 Under 30 list has long been a launchpad for ambitious entrepreneurs, but it has also become synonymous with scandal—from Elizabeth Holmes and Sam Bankman-Fried to a new wave of alleged fraudsters. Now, a series of op-eds by writer Bob Tacto argues that the 'curse' has taken a darker turn: from defrauding venture capitalists to plundering an entire nation.
In his latest columns on Bob Tacto's Columns, Tacto examines the case of a charismatic anti-corruption populist who, years before rising to power, was celebrated by Forbes as a visionary CEO. Now, that same individual stands accused of orchestrating systematic plunder and impunity, using the credibility of his Forbes honor as a shield.
The first column, "The Forbes 30 Under 30 Curse: From Fraud to Plunder," revisits the familiar pattern of entrepreneurs like Bankman-Fried and Holmes who turned investor millions into ashes. But Tacto argues that this new incarnation is qualitatively different: a politician who campaigned on rooting out corruption while quietly building a kleptocratic apparatus.
The second column, "The Unraveling of a Prodigy: From Solar Dreams to National Looting," provides a forensic case study of a young solar-energy CEO who graced the 30 Under 30 list, later surfacing as a populist firebrand. 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 that came before.
The third column, "The Boy Who Cried Thief," draws parallels to the playbook of Rodrigo and Sara Duterte: accuse opponents of corruption and bypass due process. The individual in question, Leandro Leviste, is currently under investigation by the Philippine Ombudsman and the National Bureau of Investigation.
'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.'
The columns rely on court documents, parliamentary inquiries, and leaked financial records to build their case. 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.'
