The Forbes 30 Under 30 network is under scrutiny as federal charges are filed against fintech founder Gökçe Güven.The 26-year-old CEO of New York–based startup Kalder has been indicted on multiple counts, including securities fraud, wire fraud, visa fraud, and aggravated identity theft, according to federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.
The Crimes
This case follows a growing number of Forbes 30 Under 30 being in legal trouble. There has also been Sam Bankman‑Fried, the once a prominent crypto founder and finance honoree who was convicted on multiple counts of fraud and conspiracy tied to the collapse of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange. Caroline Ellison, named on the list in 2022 for her work with Alameda Research, pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges connected to FTX’s misuse of customer funds.
Then there’s former Forbes honoree Charlie Javice, a fintech founder convicted of bank, securities, wire fraud and conspiracy for misrepresenting her company’s user metrics to secure a $175 million acquisition by JPMorgan. She foudned Frank (officially TAPD Inc.), a financial technology startup designed to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process for college students. Joanna Smith‑Griffin is a 2021 Forbes list alum accused in federal court of securities fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft over alleged misrepresentations to investors in her AI education startup, ALLHere Education Inc., an artificial intelligence technology company that created “Ed” the chatbot. The infamous Martin Shkreli was included in various Forbes lists befor being convicted of securities fraud and conspiracy for his management of hedge funds and drug companies, earning a lengthy prison sentence.
Güven, a Turkish national, founded Kalder in 2022, promoting it as a fintech-marketing platform designed to help companies create and monetize customized rewards programs. The startup claimed to generate recurring revenue by connecting brands to affiliate partners and positioning loyalty programs as revenue engines. Kalder and Güven were featured on Forbes’ 2025 30 Under 30 list.
Federal authorities allege that much of Kalder’s reported success was built on false information. Prosecutors say that during the company’s seed funding round in April 2024, Güven raised approximately $7 million from more than a dozen investors by distributing a pitch deck containing inflated and misleading claims. The materials allegedly overstated Kalder’s customer base, falsely reporting dozens of brands as active or freemium users, when in reality some had only participated in limited pilot programs and others had no relationship with the company at all, according to federal prosceutors.
According to the indictment, the pitch deck showed steady month-over-month growth and claimed the company had reached more than $1 million in annual recurring revenue by early 2024. Prosecutors allege Güven maintained two sets of financial records—one reflecting the company’s actual financial condition and another with inflated numbers used to solicit investors.
Beyond investor fraud, authorities say Güven used similar misrepresentations to obtain an O-1A visa, a category reserved for individuals with extraordinary ability. The indictment alleges she submitted falsified documents and digitally signed letters of recommendation without the knowledge or consent of the supposed authors. Güven was initally arrested in November 2025 and later issued a superseding indictment.
If convicted on all counts, Güven faces the possibility of decades in federal prison.
