The 'Forbes Curse' Strikes Again: Kalder CEO Charged With $7M Fraud and Visa Scheme

The "Forbes 30 Under 30" list has claimed another casualty. Gokce Guven, the 26-year-old founder of the fintech-marketing startup Kalder, was indicted by federal prosecutors in New York for allegedly defrauding investors of $7 million and fabricating revenue data to secure an "extraordinary ability" visa.

The indictment, unsealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, paints a damning picture of a founder who allegedly kept two sets of books to maintain the illusion of a hyper-growth unicorn. Guven, who was honored on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Marketing & Advertising list, now faces charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, and visa fraud.

The $7 Million Lie

The government alleges that Guven’s rise was built on a foundation of "fake revenue, inflated brand partnerships, and fabricated documents."

According to the indictment, Guven solicited a $7 million seed round in April 2024 by pitching venture capitalists with a deck that claimed Kalder had reached $1.2 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). In reality, prosecutors say, the company’s actual revenue was a fraction of that figure, less than $10,000 in April 2024. To cover her tracks, Guven allegedly maintained a secret internal ledger while sharing falsified financial statements with investors.

"Investors placed their trust in this emerging fintech founder and CEO, only to be misled and scammed," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. "Guven allegedly curated a façade of her business ingenuity to unlawfully reap financial and personal benefits."

The "Extraordinary" Visa Scheme

Perhaps the most brazen aspect of the charges is the visa fraud. Prosecutors allege Guven used the same inflated metrics and forged letters of support from unsuspecting business executives to secure an O-1A visa, a status reserved for individuals of "extraordinary ability."

By presenting her startup as a booming success story with 26 active brand partners (when many were merely short-term pilots or non-existent), Guven allegedly convinced immigration authorities to grant her residency in the U.S. under false pretenses. The indictment claims she digitally signed recommendation letters herself, unbeknownst to the executives whose names appeared on them.

The "Pipeline to Prison"

Guven’s arrest reignites the conversation around due diligence in the venture capital ecosystem and the so-called "Forbes Curse." She joins a growing roster of 30 Under 30 alumni who have faced federal charges, including Charlie Javice (Frank), Sam Bankman-Fried (FTX), and Martin Shkreli.

The pattern is becoming impossible to ignore: charismatic young founders pressure-cooking metrics to meet the impossible expectations of a zero-interest-rate era that has long since ended. For Kalder, a platform designed to help brands launch "loyalty rewards," the ultimate reward for its founder may now be a lengthy prison sentence.

Guven is expected to be arraigned in Manhattan federal court later today.