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Forbes 30 Under 30
Set of lists recognizing young professionals From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Forbes 30 Under 30 is a set of lists published annually by Forbes magazine since 2011 that recognize 30 notable people under 30 years old in various industries. The American list consists of 600 people, with 30 selected in each of 20 sectors. The Asia and Europe lists each have 10 categories for a total of 300 people each, while Africa has a single list of 30 people. Forbes hosts associated conferences and a section of its website called 30 Under 30. The nomination process for Forbes 30 Under 30 is open to the public, and people may nominate themselves or another as long as the nominee is under 30 years of age.[1][independent source needed]
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The final 30 under 30 list published by Forbes is divided into different categories of industries: Art & Style, Hollywood & Entertainment, Retail & E-Commerce, Healthcare, Consumer Technology, Sports, Marketing and Advertising, Energy, Science, Media, Music, Social Media, Manufacturing & Industry, Social Impact, Finance, Venture Capital, Food & Drink, Education, Enterprise Technology, and Games.[2][independent source needed]
According to Forbes, the 30 honorees under the age of 30 in each industry list are scouted and selected by the editors of Forbes, independent judges, celebrity judges, and industry experts.[3][independent source needed]
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History
Forbes launched its 30 Under 30 list in 2011 under the direction of editor-in-chief Randall Lane, aiming to recognize young entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators across 20 categories.[4] By 2016, nominations had surpassed 15,000, with Forbes editors and industry experts selecting 30 winners per category based on criteria such as innovation, impact, and leadership.[5][6] Over time, Forbes expanded the initiative to include regional lists for Asia (launched in 2016), Europe (2016), and Africa.[7][8][9]
By 2022, Forbes reported over 100,000 nominations.[10] To mark the 10th anniversary, Forbes introduced the 30 Under 30 Hall of Fame, who were Forbes 30 under 30 honorees over the years, such as Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, athlete LeBron James, musician Miley Cyrus, media personality Kylie Jenner and Spotify founder Daniel Ek.[11]
Forbes also leveraged the 30 Under 30 brand through a dedicated digital channel and a social media app, developed in collaboration with Tinder co-founder and Forbes 30 under 30 honoree Sean Rad, to engage millennials and promote networking among young professionals.[12][13][14]
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Forbes 30 under 30 Summits
In addition to the magazine feature, Forbes hosts an annual Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit.[15] In 2014 and 2015, the summit was held in Philadelphia,[16] with Monica Lewinsky making headlines[17][18] at the first summit for her address on cyberbullying.[19] The 2016 and 2017 summits were both held in October in Boston.[20] Organizers include previous 30 Under 30 honorees chef Chris Coombs, Boston mayoral aide Dan Koh, and pediatric oncology professor Cigall Kadoch.[21]
In April 2016, Forbes held its first 30 Under 30 international summit, focused on Europe, the Middle East and Africa and taking place in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.[22] Speakers included Monica Lewinsky, Shimon Peres and Okieriete Onaodowan.[23] Onaodowan was a 2016 honoree on the 30 Under 30 Hollywood & Entertainment list for his portrayal of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in Hamilton.[24]
Botswana was the first African country to host Forbes 30 Under 30 in April 2022.[25]
In 2023, the Forbes 30 under 30 Summit was held in Cleveland, Ohio, with speakers such as Kendall Jenner (2024 honoree in the Art & Style category), [26] Bad Bunny (2019 honoree in the Music category)[27] and Machine Gun Kelly.[28]
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Criticism
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Demographic criticism
The 30 Under 30 list has drawn criticism for under-representation of women and racial minorities in the early years of the list.[29] The Root observed that 29 of 30 journalists honored on the inaugural Media category list in 2011 were white, and none were of African descent or Latino.[30] Elle South Africa noted the gender imbalance of the 2014 lists, asking, "Where are the women?"[31] Demographics of the Forbes selections have also been discussed by Poynter, which reported that the 2015 Media list had 18 women, the most in the list's five-year history.[32]
"Forbes-to-Fraud Pipeline" criticism
Some media critics have placed a spotlight on Forbes 30 under 30 honorees by humorously describing the list as a "Forbes-to-Fraud Pipeline".[33][34][35][36][37] It has also jokingly been described by some critics in opinion pieces as the "curse of the Forbes 30 Under 30" with "few things are as reliable in prophesying a fall from grace as 30 Under 30".[38][39][40][41] Some honorees on the list were reported to have collectively raised $5.3 billion in funding while being apprehended for various financial offenses worth over $18.5 billion as of 2023.[41]
Forbes has described its success rate at vetting as 99.9 percent.[42] However, Forbes playfully published a "hall of shame" article in 2023 describing the following 10 picks as "duds":
- Sam Bankman-Fried, Finance, 2021 (41st richest American who was subsequently convicted of financial fraud and conspiracy)[42]
- Caroline Ellison, Finance, 2022 (Bankman-Fried's co-conspirator)[42]
- Charlie Javice, Finance, 2019 (convicted for financial fraud and conspiracy)[42]
- Nate Paul, Finance, 2016 (convicted of lying to lenders)[42]
- Martin Shkreli, Finance, 2013 (stock manipulation)[42]
- Cody Wilson, Law and Policy, 2014 (sex offender)[42]
- James O'Keefe, Media, 2012 (financial malfeasance with donor money)[42]
- Phadria Prendergast, Marketing and Media Europe, 2023 (ran operation linked to a religious cult)[42]
- Steph Korey, Retail & E-commerce, 2016 (workplace bullying)[42]
- Lucas Duplan, Finance, 2014 (misuse of raised funds)[42]
Some 30 Under 30 honorees who were later implicated in other controversies include Do Kwon, a 2019 Finance honoree facing financial fraud charges;[43] Matilda Djerf, a 2023 honoree accused of workplace bullying;[44] Joanna Smith-Griffin, a 2021 honoree charged with financial fraud;[45][46] Abraham Shafi, charged in 2024 with defrauding investors;[47][46] Jessica Mah, accused of financial embezzlement and harassment;[48] and Olivia Nuzzi, a 2018 honoree who had an affair with U.S. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.[49]
A controversial high-profile executive, Elizabeth Holmes, was never selected to become a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, but was asked by Forbes to be a speaker at a Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit.[41]
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See also
References
External links
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