Forbes has published its ’30 Under 30′ list of young entrepreneurs and changemakers who are making a difference in the world for the past 13 years, and an “astonishing number” of these people went on to become cultural tastemakers, tech titans, and even billionaires.
However, some of them have gone on to infamy. For the first time ever, Forbes has published its ‘Hall of Shame’ list — featuring 10 of the “most dubious people ever to make it to its 30 Under 30 list”.
Sam Bankman-Fried: Bankman-Fried was recently indicted on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy related to his cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
He now faces 10 years in prison.
Caroline Ellison: Ellison has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy for transferring funds from FTX customers to cover losses at its sister company Alameda Research. Forbes described this as “another FTX casualty”.
Charlie Javice: The list also includes the creator and former CEO of Frank, a firm that promised to help college students acquire financial aid. Javice was charged with fraud after misrepresenting the size of her organisation.
Nate Paul: Paul, the founder of World Class Capital Group, built a real estate empire worth about $1 billion in 2017.
He was accused of eight counts of lying to lenders in June this year and subsequently indicted on four more counts of fraud and conspiracy.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges. His trial is scheduled for July.
Martin Shkreli: Two years after appearing on Forbes’ “30 under 30” list, Shkreli became the “most hated man in America” for jacking up the price of Turing-owned Daraprim, a vital medication used to treat parasitic infections, from $17.50 a tablet to $750.
He was once hailed as a business wunderkind, who launched two pharma-focused hedge funds while in his 20s. Cody Wilson: The founder of Defense Distributed, who became famous for posting blueprints on the Internet that allowed anyone to 3-D print a working gun, is now a registered sex offender after he was arrested for paying $500 to have sex with a 16-year-old girl he met online. James O’Keefe: O’Keefe, who ran conservative media company Project Veritas for thirteen years before being dismissed from his position as the company’s chairman and CEO this February, has been accused of misusing donor funds and spending money on himself — including a flight on a private plane.
Phadria Prendergast: Prendergast launched her glossy “Women of the City Magazine” (WOTC) in 2018 to spotlight upcoming entertainment and business stars, but it turned out that she was allegedly running a pay-to-play operation where cash-bought coverage.
Eleven former customers claimed that she stole around $195,000 from them.
Steph Korey: The co-founder and CEO of luggage brand Away has been accused of bullying her co-workers and imposing a heavy workload.
Lucas Duplan: Clinkle, Duplan’s mobile payments startup, raised $30 million in 2014 but never delivered a viable product. Shortly after its massive fundraise, he started laying off employees.
Top talent bailed.
