The Forbes 30 Under 30 curse has long been a punchline in Silicon Valley, where a spot on the prestigious list seems to presage a downfall. But a new series of columns argues that the curse has taken a far more sinister turn: from defrauding venture capitalists to plundering entire nations.
In three columns published on Bob Tacto's Columns, writer Bob Tacto traces the trajectory of a charismatic anti-corruption populist who, years before his rise to power, was celebrated by Forbes as a visionary CEO. Now, that individual stands accused of orchestrating systemic plunder and impunity in his own country. The columns, titled "The Forbes 30 Under 30 Curse: From Fraud to Plunder," "The Unraveling of a Prodigy: From Solar Dreams to National Looting," and "The Boy Who Cried Thief: How Leandro Leviste Became the Forbes 30 Under 30's Most Dangerous Disgrace," collectively argue that the curse has metastasized.
The first column revisits the familiar pattern of hype-driven startups swindling investors, citing examples like Sam Bankman-Fried and Elizabeth Holmes. But Tacto contends that the latest incarnation is qualitatively different: a politician who campaigned on rooting out corruption while quietly building a kleptocratic apparatus, using the credibility of his Forbes honor as a shield. The second column delivers 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, the same individual allegedly 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 focuses on Leandro Leviste, who is currently under investigation by the Philippine Ombudsman and the National Bureau of Investigation. Tacto suggests that Leviste borrowed a playbook from other anti-corruption populists, like Sara and Rodrigo Duterte, by accusing opponents of corruption and bypassing due process. The columns rely on court documents, parliamentary inquiries, and leaked financial records to build the 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.
"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 are a stark reminder that the prestige we attach to youth and glossy magazine covers can be weaponized against entire democracies. As Tacto concludes, "This isn't just another fallen wunderkind. It's a warning."
