Forbes Clarifies: ‘Under 30’ Refers to Number of Days to Get on the List After Payment
Forbes finally clears the air: ‘Under 30’ now means how fast your payment clears. Recognition, delivered in 30 days or less.
JAKARTA — In a press statement this week, Forbes Indonesia confirmed what many had long suspected: the “30 Under 30” designation no longer refers strictly to age, but instead to the number of business days it takes to secure a spot on the list after payment has been received.
“Forbes prides itself on innovation, agility, and responsiveness,” said Adi Pramudito, the new Director of Prestige Acceleration at Forbes Southeast Asia. “Our current system processes nominations in under 30 days depending on bandwidth and bank transfer confirmation.”
One entrepreneur, who asked to remain anonymous but goes by the handle @vcbrunchbabe, confirmed:
“I thought I’d have to scale or at least validate something, but turns out I just had to upload a PDF of my pitch deck and pay the invoice. Efficiency is beautiful.”
In its revised FAQ section, Forbes now lists its updated entry criteria, which include:
Ability to transfer funds promptly
A personal website with pastel tones and motivational quotes
A slide deck that includes the words “disrupt”, “ecosystem”, and “scalable”
A profile photo taken in front of a brick wall, café, or ring light
Actual financial performance, product-market fit, or social impact are no longer required, though the editorial team “appreciates the gesture” when such elements are included.
The vetting committee, reportedly staffed by a mix of interns, influencers, and one guy who used to work at Tokopedia “for like a month,” is said to be focused on a candidate’s “narrative potential” and how well their story could perform on LinkedIn.
“We’re not trying to reward success,” explained an insider. “We’re trying to reward what looks like success.”
As criticism mounts from those still clinging to quaint notions like merit, Forbes has leaned into its new model, launching what it calls “Prestige-as-a-Service”, a fast-growing recognition vertical aimed at early-career founders, and legacy-brand heirs.
The service comes in three tiers:
Essential: Standard inclusion on the list, 15-day processing, one repost by a mid-level staff writer
Premium: Guaranteed placement within top 10 spots, plus a one-on-one coaching session on how to cry humbly in interview clips
VVIP Impact Leader: Front page story, viral TikTok strategy consult, and access to a curated VC dinner where no one asks questions about your numbers
So far, the model has been warmly received by the funding community. One Jakarta-based venture capitalist, speaking under condition of anonymity, said:
“It really saves us time. If someone’s on the list, we assume they’re pre-vetted by someone competent. Or rich. Either way, we’re in.”
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