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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Forbes’ “Hall of Shame” is the magazine’s retrospective on 10 former 30 Under 30 honorees it says it wishes it could take back. First published November 28, 2023, and updated September 30, 2025, it covers cases ranging from criminal convictions and guilty pleas to disputed charges, workplace controversies and a failed business. Those are different outcomes, not proof that all 10 people committed fraud.
What Forbes’ “Hall of Shame” is—and is not
In its retrospective, Forbes revisits 10 people previously selected for its 30 Under 30 lists. The publication presents the feature as a look back at selections it regrets, not as an independent audit of the franchise or a representative sample of all honorees. Its collective editorial voice describes the list as “future-facing” and acknowledges that no selection process can predict the future with perfect accuracy.
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For context, Forbes said the U.S. list had 20 categories and 600 selections each year; that its U.S., Europe and Asia lists had honored more than 10,000 people while vetting about 100,000 candidates; and that 32 alumni had become billionaires. These are figures Forbes reported in the retrospective, updated September 30, 2025—not independently audited counts.
The 10 profiles do not all describe the same kind of conduct or establish the same outcome. Some involve convictions or guilty pleas; others concern charges, disputed allegations, an investigation, workplace criticism or a company that failed. The retrospective records what Forbes reported as of its update date; it is not an independently verified or necessarily current legal timeline.
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Who is named in the 10 profiles?
The retrospective spans several classes and categories. The status descriptions below reflect Forbes’ account, not a claim that every allegation was proven.
| Person | 30 Under 30 selection | What Forbes reports |
|---|---|---|
| Sam Bankman-Fried | 2021 Finance | Forbes says the FTX founder was convicted of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy and describes the diversion of customer assets to Alameda Research. |
| Caroline Ellison | 2022 Finance | Forbes says the Alameda Research co-CEO pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy related to FTX customer funds. |
| Charlie Javice | 2019 Finance | Forbes reports a dispute over the number of customers startup Frank represented to JPMorgan Chase, and says Javice was indicted on fraud and conspiracy counts. It also notes she disputed the allegations and pleaded not guilty. |
| Nate Paul | 2016 Finance | Forbes reports charges, including additional fraud and conspiracy counts, and says the World Class Capital Group founder pleaded not guilty. |
| Martin Shkreli | 2013 Finance | Forbes recounts the increase in the price of Turing-owned Daraprim from $17.50 to $750 per tablet. It also describes an FTC suit and $65 million fine, an industry ban, and a prison term for misrepresenting hedge-fund finances and attempting to manipulate Retrophin stock. |
| Cody Wilson | 2014 Law & Policy | Forbes says the Defense Distributed founder pleaded guilty in 2019 to Injury to a Child and was required to register as a sex offender. |
| James O’Keefe | 2012 Media | Forbes describes his removal from Project Veritas and reported concerns about leadership and donor funds. It says a district attorney’s office was investigating him at the time, while noting the office had not publicly stated why. |
| Phadria Prendergast | 2023 Europe Media & Marketing | Forbes describes allegations of pay-to-play coverage and reports that 11 former customers said they lost roughly $195,000. It also notes denials by Prendergast, the former CEO and SPAC Nation. |
| Steph Korey | 2016 Retail & Ecommerce | Forbes summarizes employee accounts reported by The Verge alleging bullying and an onerous workload, Korey’s resignation and return as co-CEO, and her later announcement that she would leave. These are workplace and management controversies, not criminal findings in the retrospective. |
| Lucas Duplan | 2014 Finance | Forbes says Clinkle raised $30 million but did not produce a viable product and ran out of money by the end of 2015. This is a business failure, not a fraud conviction. |
Why the profiles should not be treated as equivalent
The list groups people under one retrospective label, but the underlying accounts differ in both evidence and outcome. A conviction or guilty plea is not the same as an indictment or a charge that the person disputes. An investigation is not a finding of wrongdoing. Workplace accounts and a failed company are not criminal judgments.
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Forbes’ retrospective does not establish that appearing on 30 Under 30 predicts later misconduct, that these 10 profiles represent all honorees, or that being selected caused any later conduct. The franchise’s scale figures describe the publication’s own claims; they do not amount to a published representative assessment of selection accuracy.
Were Elizabeth Holmes and Billy McFarland on the Hall of Shame?
No. Forbes mentions Elizabeth Holmes and Billy McFarland in a passage about people its selection process screened out. They are not among the 10 profiles in the retrospective.
Which article is this, and how current are its details?
The feature is titled “Below, from SBF to Martin Shkreli: the Under 30 picks we wish we could take back.” Forbes identifies the author as the Forbes Under 30 team. Its publication date is November 28, 2023, and its last stated update is September 30, 2025. Because legal proceedings can change, treat procedural descriptions—particularly charges, pleas and investigations—as historical to that update rather than assuming they reflect later developments.
Read the Forbes 30 Under 30 “Hall of Shame” retrospective for the publication’s full account.
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