29. The Downline (Herbalife)
A multi-level marketing company becomes a global success despite accusations of dangerous products and exploitation.
Prelude: The peaks and valleys of Glenn W. Turner’s pyramid schemes.
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Original music for Swindled is written and performed by Trevor Howard (Deformr).
Comments (20)
One of my all time favorites. Highly recommend folks listen. to the Martin Shkreli episode to really know how Bill Ackerman works.
Can confirm The Only Way is Essex is indeed completely insufferable
Great episode!
ShitBallz 😳 I Could Totally use some herbalife for my skins 🤫😉🤯😂
UGH. So in my small little city that I live outside of Kansas City, someone just recently opened up a Nutritional Supplement store offering shakes and teas! I was SO excited to try them and have something to grab quick before work... well today was my first day there... and as I am looking through the menu I look over the counter and I see it... HERBALIFE PROTEIN POWER. HERBALIFE TEA. HERBALIFE PROTEIN BARS. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED.
I'm listening to this episode for the second time and I'm really appreciating your work. I like your openings with related cases and how you incorporate primary source material. I'm very glad I decided to move my Patreon dollars from a podcast I'd lost confidence in (after a very public flame-out) to Swindled. Keep up the great work!
“Leave me alone, Susan” 😂 Second time listening to this one, and that’s still my fav line. In my case, her name is Candi. “No Candi, I don’t want to hear about your smelly things/scrapbooking/fountain of youth”.
A lot of unemployed women can do great things if their desire for work wills them to work without actual pay. Serving the need for financial reward is one thing but if already on a reasonable baseline income why not seek more than this? My mom used to be in a small group who visited a tired out mom with a severely disabled little one. I was occasionally brought along. Laughter and seriousness and exercises like physio for the boy. The mom was cares for. The housework catched up. The house was cool, inviting and peaceful. I'll never forget it.
Great episode, thanks for all the research you did.
I moved to a small community after spending time as a travel therapist in big cities...I am soooo frustrated by how many women (and men) are in MLM!!! it’s impossible to make “true” friends... everyone wants to sell me oil/seaweed/weight loss powder!!! How do these people live with themselves knowing the lies their spreading?!
This was a great episode!
Wonderful episode!!
Great episode!! MLMs are sooo dangerous! I’ve lived in regional mining towns in Australia before where there was no employment for partners (ie women) so all these fabulous chicks would throw themselves into these ventures, and we’d all end up going to each other’s ‘parties’ and of course we’d buy stuff out of guilt!! Definitely ruined some friendships. And destroyed the self esteem and moral of these women who just wanted to work!!
Great episode!!
YES!!!! I've been waiting for you to cover pyramid schemes!!
So much shade! Love it ☕️
I’m sure you could get a ton of viewers from r/antiMLM if you post it there on release.
Yes you sure would! Love r/antimlm
Thanks for calling MLMs out. So many people being taken advantage of.
Oh shweeeeeet 😁🖤