Pava LaPere’s murder renews discussion of Forbes 30 under 30 ‘curse’

The brutal slaying of Baltimore tech CEO Pava LaPere is sparking fresh fears of a supposed “curse” in making Forbes’ prestigious 30 under 30 list of young business powerbrokers.

The battered body of the 26-year-old EcoMap Technologies co-founder was found Monday on the rooftop of her luxury apartment building in Mount Vernon, with a convicted rapist busted Wednesday night for the barbaric attack.

But LaPere’s inclusion on the prestigious Forbes list for her social impact was eerily speculated earlier this year as a “bad omen” by financial advisor and author Teddy Sibuyi.

Though LaPere’s slaying appeared to be a random attack that had nothing to do with her business prowess, she’s at least the second Forbes honoree recently killed.

Christian Kazadi, 29 — founder of the South Africa-based digital marketing agency Click Media — was found dead on May 2 in police custody in the Democratic Republic of the Congo under murky circumstances.

Kazadi had attended the first-ever Forbes Under 30 Africa summit in Botswana last year, according to Forbes.

“He never made it back home from the Forbes event,” Patrick Kazadi, Christian’s younger brother and co-founder and CEO of Click Media told the outlet in May. “[We need] answers so the family can finally finish the grieving process and put the people who did this to justice.”

Aside from violent crimes, the publicity generated for more than a dozen other 30 under 30 listees contributed to their swift downfall triggered by felony convictions and lengthy prison sentences, Sibuyi noted.

In an April LinkedIn post, which has gotten renewed attention in outlets like The Sun and MEAWW in the wake of LaPere’s slaying, Sibuyi ticked off high-profile cases of honorees who were later arrested on fraud, insider trading, and conspiracy charges.

“Often, these individuals are put on a pedestal and are given too much power and influence, which can lead to unethical behavior and even criminal activities,” he wrote.

“Being featured in such a prestigious publication can also attract unwanted attention from regulators and law enforcement, who may scrutinize their actions more closely.”

For example, Sam Bankman-Fried, 31, made the Forbes list in 2021 before the collapse of his former crypto exchange FTX. He’s now facing fraud and money laundering charges in connection with his alleged attempt to defraud customers out of $8 billion.

And Martin Shkreli, now 40, went from being featured by Forbes Magazine for his work in the pharmaceutical industry in 2013, to one of the country’s most hated men two years later after jacking up the price of a drug that treats infectious diseases from $14 to $750 — then lashing out at critics and smirking his way through a congressional hearing.

Shkreli, known derisively as the “Pharma Bro,” was eventually arrested for securities fraud and conspiracy, charges unrelated to his company’s price-hiking antics.

Then there’s founder and former CEO of Theranos Elizabeth Holmes, 39 — who had a net worth of $4.5 billion at just 30 years old — but was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2022 after making up claims about the company’s technology, business and financial performance.

Fyre Fest fraudster Billy McFarland, 31, served four years of a six-year sentence for wire fraud in connection with his disastrous 2017 festival, which promised famous musical acts and luxury accommodations, but was canceled as attendees — who paid as much as $12,000 — landed on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma.

Also, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, 34, was featured in Forbes Africa in 2015, before the celebrity doctor allegedly sprung her convicted killer and rapist boyfriend from a South African prison, faked his death and harbored him for a year in a mansion.

Magudumana’s prison break scheme was so twisted that she allegedly smuggled a dead body into Thabo Bester’s prison cell and started a fire to create the illusion he had died there, and facilitated his escape.

Sibuyi additionally noted the cases of fallen 30 under 30 recipients Aubrey McClendon, — founder and former CEO of Chesapeake Energy — who killed himself after being indicted for conspiring to rig oil and gas leases; Sam Wyly, a billionaire businessman convicted of tax fraud and insider trading; former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta, convicted of insider trading; and Paul Manafort, a former Donald Trump campaign manager convicted of fraud before he was pardoned by his one-time boss.

The ominous list of fallen Forbes’ honorees also includes ex-Enron CEO Jeff Skilling, former press baron Conrad Black, WorldCom fraudster Bernie Ebbers, junk-bond king Michael Milken, insider trader Ivan Boesky and Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford.

“The common denominator in many of these cases is a combination of greed, fraud, and deceit,” Sibuyi wrote.

“The Forbes curse is a cautionary tale for anyone who seeks fame and fortune through questionable means. Success and recognition should not come at the expense of one’s integrity and honesty.”

Commenters on X also drew the connection between LaPere’s grisly fate and the swift downfall of so many young business standouts recently.

 “Forbes 30 Under 30 is a real curse, either they turn scammers & end up in prison & now getting murdered,” one post read.

“30 under 30 is the new 27 club,” another person said, referring to an informal list of popular musicians, artists, actors, and other celebrities who died at age 27.