Surgical Times is providing additional information and updates—not corrections—on a story we published yesterday.
A website built to look like a legitimate Forbes Media property is publishing “Forbes” magazine covers that feature local and national influencers and other celebrity actors and entrepreneurs.
Like those before it—ForbesNewYork.com, ForbesEngland.com, and Forbes Monaco—the website and magazine covers produced by Forbes Las Vegas are illegitimate, according to all available information.
Surgical Times reached out to Forbes by phone and email.
We will update this report immediately upon receipt of new information.
Importantly, Surgical Times is expressly not suggesting or reporting that the specific individuals, influencers, and entrepreneurs who are featured on the covers that follow have done anything wrong.
Rather, existing information suggests these individuals are either unaware they are even on the covers—Beyonce, Tom Cruise, Gary Vaynerchuk, Sara Blakely, and others—or that they may not be aware that Forbes Las Vegas is not a valid Forbes website.
‘Forbes Las Vegas’ Magazine Covers Feature Influencers, Celebrities, Others
Beyonce
The first Forbes Las Vegas magazine cover released and shared by the publication, on January 18, features signer-songwriter and businessswoman [sic], Beyonce.
“The alubum is a a marvel,” Forbes Las Vegas proclaims—typographical errors given here in bold—”of prolieetrating rewards.” Beyonce is further “dubeedas [dubbed as?] ‘Queen Bey’ recognized for her artistry,” Forbes Las Vegas writes, typographical errors and all, other copy trailing off the cover into both oblivion and meaninglessness.
UPDATED 4:57 P.M. PST: @ForbesLasVegas blocked the Times on Instagram and disabled its embed feature immediately post-publication, after we left comments inviting them (or those featured) to comment or clarify any misunderstandings the website/publication felt we may have had. Therefore, the embeds that follow appear broken. The “publication,” evidently based in Bengaluru, India, lists no other means of contact.
Sara ‘Bakely’
Forbes Las Vegas wants viewers to believe it features such billionaires as Sara Blakely, the inventor of Spanx. That association helps sell others on the publication’s stature and credibility.
As money goes, we’re putting plenty of it on the fact Sara Blakely—whose name is misspelled on this fake cover as Sara Bakely—has never seen this Forbes Las Vegas “cover.”
Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise appears unknowingly on a Forbes Las Vegas magazine cover, which uses a widely-available image of unknown origin.
Despite the cover’s creation in 2024, Forbes Las Vegas places Cruise as 54 years old, though the actor is 61.
Cruise’s cover was also first shared January 18, but a second and different version is pinned to Forbes Las Vegas’ Instagram profile for good measure.
Version 1 suggests Cruise—or the nonexistent magazine he’s the unwitting cover of—will teach you “how to live unstress life,” as well as discuss “the mastermind behind pilot to make us all Republicans.”
In reality, however, Cruise has never appeared on an authorized Forbes magazine cover.
As for the false age and trailing titles on this fake Forbes magazine, that comes from a valid Forbes profile on Cruise, describing his 2017 earnings. 2017.
Influencers, Entrepreneurs on Forbes Las Vegas
Surgical Times is expressly not suggesting or reporting that the specific individuals, influencers, and entrepreneurs who are featured on the covers that follow have done anything wrong.
Rather, existing information suggests these individuals are either unaware they are even on the covers—Beyonce, Tom Cruise, Gary Vaynerchuk, Sara Blakely, and others—or that they may not be aware that Forbes Las Vegas is not a valid Forbes website.
If you appear on one of the following covers, we would appreciate hearing from you, or we ask that you simply forward the email or DMs on which you personally received your “Forbes” cover, to tips@surgicaltimes.com.
Francesco Vitali, Visionary CEO of RentaCyberfriend
Radi Budyounova, Model & Influencer
Mina Mendes, Entrepreneur
Nina Naustdal, Entrepreneur
Dhana Bunel, Entrepreneur
Katniss Griffiths, Fashion Designer
Katinka Meidell, Entrepreneur
Dennis M. Postema, Entrepreneur, Publisher and TV Producer
Iman Gadzhi, Entrepreneur
Gary Vee, Businessman
Forbes Las Vegas Magazine is Neither Forbes Nor a Magazine
Forbes Las Vegas’ magazine covers are promotional gimmicks at best, that will never appear in print.
There is no magazine behind them—neither in physical or digital form. Forbes does not produce a Las Vegas edition.
Many (most) of the influencers and entrepreneurs featured on Forbes Las Vegas’ so-called magazine covers aren’t even chronicled in accompanying articles on the publication’s website.
Like those before it, Forbes Las Vegas appears to be profiting off of Forbes’ global brand-recognition—one reason influencers are so keen to appear on the sites and covers they’ll pay money for it.
Unsuspecting influencers and others will spend upwards of $5,000 – $12,000 to be featured on “Forbes” magazine covers and articles.
If profits have yet to be realized by the brand-new site, the groundwork is evidently being laid for them.
Native Advertising, as such coverage is referred to and regulated by the FTC, comes with stringent guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission.
ForbesLasVegas.com is a website registered by and to a private individual, perhaps to an LLC—not by Forbes Media’s authorized domain registration agent—less than two month ago.
Domains for “Forbes New York” and “Forbes England” were claimed by Forbes’s authorized domain registrar, MarkMonitor, in December last year, following years of similar paid PR placement usage.
Further, entities behind Forbes Las Vegas may be in violation of federal trademark laws, if they’re using the billion-dollar brand’s name, logo, and likeness without its express permission.
Attempts to Contact
Numerous attempts to contact Forbes Las Vegas and several influencers featured prior to publication were unsuccessful. The Forbes Las Vegas website has no contact or about us page, or contact options listed. ForbesLasVegas.com links to Forbes.com, whom we reached out to but failed to hear from.
Email tips@surgicaltimes.com. If you have paid to appear on a “Forbes” magazine cover, we’d like to hear from you.