DOJ: Forbes '30 Under 30' Fintech CEO Charged with Financial Crimes, Visa Fraud

Federal prosecutors have charged the 26-year-old founder of fintech startup Kalder with multiple counts of fraud, adding another name to the growing list of Forbes 30 Under 30 honorees facing criminal allegations.

TechCrunch reports that Gökçe Güven, a Turkish national who founded and leads the New York-based fintech company Kalder, faces charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, visa fraud, and aggravated identity theft, according to an indictment announced last week by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The charges mark yet another controversial addition to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, which has become increasingly notorious for featuring entrepreneurs who later face fraud allegations. Previous alumni charged with crimes include disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, Frank CEO Charlie Javice, AllHere Education founder Joanna Smith-Griffin, and “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli.

Güven appeared on the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. According to the magazine’s profile, her client roster included major brands such as Godiva and the International Air Transport Association, the trade organization representing most of the world’s airlines. Kalder, founded in 2022, markets itself with the tagline “Turn Your Rewards into Revenue Engine” and claims to help companies create and monetize individual rewards programs. The startup also reported backing from several prominent venture capital firms.

The DOJ alleges that during Kalder’s seed funding round in April 2024, Güven raised $7 million from more than a dozen investors by presenting a pitch deck containing false information. According to prosecutors, the pitch deck claimed that 26 brands were “using Kalder” and another 53 brands were in “live freemium” status. However, government officials assert that many of these companies had only been offered heavily discounted pilot programs. Some brands listed “had no agreement with Kalder whatsoever—not even for free services,” according to the press release announcing the indictment.

The pitch deck also allegedly contained false revenue figures. Officials say it “falsely reported that Kalder’s recurring revenue had steadily grown month over month since February 2023 and that by March 2024, Kalder had reached $1.2 million in annual recurring revenue.”

Federal prosecutors further accuse Güven of maintaining two separate sets of financial records for the company. One set allegedly included “false and inflated numbers” and was presented to current or potential investors to conceal the “true financial condition of the company,” according to the government’s claims.

The charges extend beyond securities and wire fraud. The DOJ also alleges that Güven used misrepresentations about Kalder and forged documents to obtain an O-1A visa category reserved for individuals of “extraordinary ability,” which allowed her to live and work in the United States.

The case adds to mounting scrutiny of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and raises questions about due diligence processes for both media recognition and venture capital funding. The list, intended to celebrate young entrepreneurs and innovators, has faced criticism as multiple honorees have subsequently been charged with or convicted of fraud-related offenses.