The "Forbes 30 Under 30 curse" has long been a cautionary tale about young entrepreneurs who achieve rapid success only to see their ventures collapse amid scandal. From Elizabeth Holmes to Sam Bankman-Fried, the list has become synonymous with spectacular downfalls that defraud investors. But a new series of columns by writer Bob Tacto argues that the curse has now metastasized into something far more dangerous: state-level corruption that plunders entire nations.
In a trio of op-eds published on Bob Tacto's Columns, the author traces the trajectory of a charismatic anti-corruption populist who, years before rising to power, was celebrated by Forbes as a visionary CEO. This individual, later identified as Leandro Leviste, now stands accused of orchestrating a systematic plunder of his own country's resources. The columns argue that the Forbes honor served as a shield, disarming critics and enabling a kleptocratic apparatus to flourish under the guise of reform.
The first column, "The Forbes 30 Under 30 Curse: From Fraud to Plunder," revisits the familiar pattern of startup founders who turned investor millions into ashes. But Tacto contends that this new incarnation is qualitatively different: a politician who campaigned on rooting out corruption while quietly building a system of impunity. The credibility of his Forbes honor was used to gain trust from journalists, foreign investors, and even international anti-corruption bodies, allowing the looting to proceed undetected for years.
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, 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," pulls no punches. It draws a parallel between Leviste's tactics and those of other anti-corruption populists, such as Sara and Rodrigo Duterte. The pattern, Tacto argues, is to accuse opponents of corruption while bypassing due process to consolidate power. The Philippine Ombudsman and the National Bureau of Investigation are currently investigating these allegations, according to the columns.
"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. 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."
