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Mike LindellAmerican businessman, political activist and conspiracy theorist
Date of Birth: 28.06.1961
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Mike Lindell: From Addiction to Business Success
- Early Life and Struggles
- Entrepreneurial Journey
- My Pillow
- Philanthropy
- Political Involvement
- Personal Life
Mike Lindell: From Addiction to Business Success
Mike Lindell, an American businessman, political activist, and conspiracy theorist, rose from humble beginnings to become the founder and CEO of My Pillow, a leading manufacturer of pillows, bedding, and slippers.
Early Life and Struggles
Born in 1961 in Mankato, Minnesota, Lindell grew up in Chaska and Carver, Minnesota. His gambling addiction emerged in adolescence, leading him to drop out of the University of Minnesota after only a few months. Lindell became addicted to cocaine in his early 20s, a habit that escalated to crack cocaine in the 1990s. The addiction, coupled with gambling debts, resulted in him losing the equity in his home and his wife filing for divorce. Lindell credits prayer with helping him achieve sobriety in 2009.
Entrepreneurial Journey
In the 1980s, Lindell ventured into various small businesses, including carpet cleaning, food trucks, and several bars and restaurants in Carver County, Minnesota.
My Pillow
In 2004, Lindell invented the My Pillow, a pillow filled with shredded foam pieces that interlock. He transformed the endeavor into a manufacturing company based in Minnesota.
In 2017, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) revoked My Pillow's accreditation, downgrading it to an F rating based on customer complaints. The BBB cited the "buy one, get one free" offer as no longer a sale price or free offer but part of the regular product cost. Lindell expressed disappointment with the BBB's decision.
Lindell appointed his son Darren as the company's COO in 2020, citing potential future political aspirations.
Several major retailers discontinued My Pillow products in 2021. Lindell speculated that his statements regarding the 2020 US presidential election results prompted the move, although retailers such as Kohl's and Bed Bath & Beyond attributed it to market research and low customer demand. In July 2023, MyPillow auctioned off equipment and subleased part of its manufacturing space as more retailers, including Walmart and Slumberland Furniture, ended their partnerships.
Philanthropy
In My Pillow's early days, Lindell donated to the Salvation Army and the United Way. He established the Lindell Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to providing treatment and support services for former drug addicts. Over time, the foundation expanded to include work with cancer victims and veterans.
In 2019, Lindell launched the Lindell Recovery Network, connecting addicts with others who have navigated addiction and recovery, as well as faith-based healing centers and other recovery organizations.
Political Involvement
Lindell met with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in August 2016 and became a vocal supporter. He praised Trump as "the most amazing president this country has ever seen in history" following his 2016 election victory. At a speech at Liberty University in August 2019, Lindell stated, "When I met Donald Trump, it was like God's divine appointment, and when I walked out of that office, I made up my mind that I was going all in."
Lindell attended the final presidential debate in Las Vegas on October 19, 2016. He spoke at a Trump campaign rally in Minneapolis on November 6, 2016, and attended Donald's Watch Party on November 8. He was present for Trump's inauguration, where Trump gifted him his inaugural lapel pin as a personal memento.
Lindell sat beside Trump at an industry roundtable in the White House in 2017. Trump commended Lindell on his "business acumen" at a rally in Fargo, North Dakota, on June 27, 2018. Lindell spoke at a Trump rally in Rochester, Minnesota, on October 4, 2018. At the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference, Lindell said that Trump was "the greatest president in history" and had been "chosen by God."
Lindell met with Trump and his staff to discuss opioid addiction in 2019. Lindell was present when Trump signed a bipartisan bill addressing the growing opioid crisis and aimed at preventing opioid abuse and fatal overdoses.
In a March 2020 appearance on Fox News, Lindell asserted that his company's bedding factories had been repurposed to produce face masks at the direction of the Trump administration. Later that month, Lindell appeared with Trump at a coronavirus press conference at the White House, where he praised Trump: "On November 8, 2016, God gave us a grace period to change the course that we were on. God had been removed from our schools and our lives; the nation turned its back on God. I urge you to use this time at home to get back in the Word. Read our Bibles and spend time with our families."
Lindell considered running for Minnesota governor in 2022 against incumbent Democrat Tim Walz, reportedly at Trump's encouragement. He attended a Republican Governors Association meeting where he was encouraged to run. He became chairman of Trump's reelection campaign in Minnesota in May 2020. Lindell said he was "99% sure" he would run for Minnesota governor in July 2020 but ultimately did not file and offered no explanation (although he had previously stated that his decision would depend on the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and "if we turn Minnesota red").
In November 2020, Lindell was among those who contributed to the bail payment for Kenosha shooting suspect Kyle Rittenhouse. Lindell later stated that he made the donation to "The Fight Back Foundation Inc. to help fund, among other things, election fraud lawsuits" and that reports claiming he had paid Rittenhouse's $50,000 bail were "fake news."
In April 2022, Lindell's reported donation of $800,000 to the legal defense fund of Tina Peters, then the Republican candidate for Colorado secretary of state, raised questions as such a donation would violate Colorado state law; the commission investigated the fund after a complaint of lack of donor transparency.
Lindell returned to Twitter in May 2022, circumventing a ban on his previous Twitter account. However, within hours of rejoining, Twitter shut down Lindell's new account for ban evasion.
Lindell announced his candidacy for chairman of the Republican National Committee in November 2022. On January 27, 2023, he lost, receiving four of the 167 votes cast.
Personal Life
Lindell has been married twice. His first marriage ended after about 20 years, and he has children from that relationship. He married Dallas Yocum in June 2013 and filed for divorce mid-July 2013 after she left him. Lindell has stated that they had a prenuptial agreement.
A devout evangelical Christian, Lindell received an honorary Doctorate of Business from Liberty University in 2019. In presenting the award, Liberty University's president called Lindell "one of the greatest Christian businessmen on planet Earth." At the event, Lindell gifted the audience with 12,000 pillows valued at over $600,000. That same year, Lindell self-published the book "What Are the Odds? From Crack Addict to CEO," in which he recounts his swift recovery from drug addiction and credits divine intervention for the subsequent success of his pillow business.
In January 2021, the Daily Mail published an article alleging that Lindell had a nine-month relationship with actress Jane Krakowski from late 2019 to the summer of 2020. Both Lindell and Krakowski denied the accusations. Lindell, represented by attorney Charles Harder, sued the Daily Mail for defamation. A federal court dismissed the lawsuit in December 2021, finding that Lindell failed to identify any statements "that a reasonable person would find defamatory."
In March 2021, Lindell stated on the Dominic Nati Show that he no longer lives in Minnesota and does not attend in-person events due to security concerns.
