Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list has seen some recipients involved in criminal activities, including fraud and financial misconduct. Notable individuals like Sam Bankman-Fried, Charlie Javice, Martin Shkreli, Nate Paul, Ross Ulbricht, and Elizabeth Holmes were once on this list but later faced legal repercussions for their actions.

Sam Bankman-Fried, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, was convicted of fraud in 2024 and sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating multiple fraudulent schemes, stealing over $8 billion from customers of his FTX exchange.

Charlie Javice, founder of Frank, falsified user data to sell the startup to JPMorgan Chase for $175 million. In 2025, she was sentenced to 85 months in prison and ordered to pay over $300 million for conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud, and securities fraud.

Martin Shkreli, known as “Pharma Bro,” was found guilty of securities fraud and conspiracy for running a Ponzi scheme through his hedge funds and biopharmaceutical company. He was sentenced to 7 years in prison and ordered to pay $7.3 million in forfeiture, including the sale of a rare Wu-Tang Clan album.

Nate Paul, CEO of World Class Capital Group, pled guilty to wire fraud in 2025 after inflating his assets and understating liabilities to secure $172 million in loans. He faced no prison time but was fined $1 million.

Ross Ulbricht, creator of Silk Road, a dark web marketplace, was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to forfeit $183 million for facilitating illegal transactions. President Trump pardoned him in 2025.

Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos, was convicted of defrauding investors by promoting a fake blood-testing device. In 2022, she was sentenced to over 11 years in prison.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: Top 5 fraudsters & criminals from Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ lists