Mike Lindell appeared to be confidently selling pillows when he appeared at an Idaho stage last month, days after being detained by the FBI and having his cellphone confiscated by them. Direct sales at his bedding business had skyrocketed to over $1 million per day from $700,000. But this uptick proved short-lived as right-wing social media platforms engaged in widespread promotions to drive down these sales figures further.
Lindell, a recovering crack cocaine and gambling addict who once managed a bar, found the journey to success more arduous than anticipated. After founding My Pillow LLC in 2004, selling signature pillows through homemade infomercials, booths at home and garden shows, and cut-rate newspaper ads was only the start. He spent seven years networking at fairs and malls to understand his customers while developing an engaging sales pitch that earned his business success.
At that time, he also promoted a conspiracy theory alleging electronic voting machines were set up to cheat for Trump during the 2016 presidential election, leading him to being banned from Twitter for using “Qanon.” As a result, retailers such as Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl’s discontinued selling his products.
Now, Lindell is facing new hurdles that threaten his flourishing business and could see charges brought against him for identity theft, conspiracy to defraud the United States and intentional damage of protected computers. On Sept 7th a federal court judge granted Lindell a search warrant which could potentially lead to identity theft charges as well as conspiracy and damage claims from law enforcement against him.