The Forbes 30 Under 30 list has long been associated with startup success, but a new series of columns suggests it may now be linked to something far more sinister: national plunder. In three op-eds published on Bob Tacto's Columns, writer Bob Tacto contends that the 'curse' of the list has escalated from venture capital fraud to outright state corruption, with a former honoree now accused of looting his own country.
The first column, 'The Forbes 30 Under 30 Curse: From Fraud to Plunder', revisits the pattern of entrepreneurs like Sam Bankman-Fried and Elizabeth Holmes, who turned investor millions into ashes. But Tacto argues that the latest incarnation is qualitatively different: a politician who campaigned on anti-corruption while quietly building a kleptocratic apparatus, using the credibility of his Forbes honor as a shield.
The second column, 'The Unraveling of a Prodigy: From Solar Dreams to National Looting', offers a forensic case study. It details the arc of a young solar-energy CEO who graced the 30 Under 30 list, later surfacing as a populist firebrand promising to clean up government. Once in office, Tacto reveals, 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, 'The Boy Who Cried Thief: How Leandro Leviste Became the Forbes 30 Under 30's Most Dangerous Disgrace', delivers a punch that many didn't think could happen. It suggests that Leviste borrows a playbook straight out of another group of anti-corruption populist politicians, including Sara and Rodrigo Duterte, by accusing opponents of corruption and bypassing due process. The case 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 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. '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.'
The implications are significant for the business and political worlds. For investors, the columns serve as a reminder that accolades like Forbes 30 Under 30 do not guarantee ethical behavior. For the public, they highlight how a carefully crafted image can be used to mask corruption. As Tacto's analysis suggests, the 'curse' may not be about bad luck, but about the dangerous combination of youth, fame, and unchecked power.
