Luis Carlos Rúa arrived at the 2026 TIME100 Next Gala dressed in his full white elephant costume, which he later shed in favor of an all-black suit. In his hand, he held a stuffed white elephant instead, a symbolic mascot representing the incomplete public infrastructure projects in Colombia, the country in which he ran an unconventional anti-corruption focused Senate campaign this year, and won.
Rúa was one of many influential rising stars in attendance on Thursday, Oct. 29 at the 2026 TIME100 Next Gala in Manhattan, which offered an opportunity for leaders across industries including health, climate, business, sports, entertainment, and more to meet and exchange ideas. The Odyssey actor Himesh Patel caught up with Food4Education founder Wawira Njiru; musician Sombr greeted actress Joey King; NBA player Tyrese Maxey laughed with comedian and content creator Druski over dinner; Curry Barker, director of the breakout horror film Obsession, stopped by to chat with actor Paapa Essiedu between courses.
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