Organized Money

Amway, Mary Kay, Herbalife and the Get Rich Quick Business


Listen Later

In this episode of Organized Money, hosts Matt Stoller and David Dayen are joined by journalist and author Bridget Read to unravel the shadowy world of multi-level marketing (MLM) and pyramid schemes. Drawing from Bridget’s new book,  Little Bosses Everywhere, How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America, they explore how companies like Amway, Herbalife, and Mary Kay built vast empires by selling not just products but the promise of entrepreneurship and financial freedom—when in reality, most participants end up losing money. The conversation reveals MLM’s deep ties to American politics, highlighting how the industry helped shape the modern conservative movement and evade federal regulation, with figures like the DeVos family fueling both business and political influence. From cult-like positive thinking and self-help roots to the exploitation of vulnerable communities, the episode exposes how the allure of “being your own boss” often conceals a cycle of extraction, false hope, and systemic harm that reaches far beyond personal finances—shaping culture, politics, and the American dream itself.

Like Organized Money? Support us! Go to organizedmoney.fm/donate and help us keep the lights on. 



...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Organized MoneyBy Rock Creek Sound

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

228 ratings


More shows like Organized Money

View all
Odd Lots by Bloomberg

Odd Lots

1,856 Listeners

Jacobin Radio by Jacobin

Jacobin Radio

1,445 Listeners

Ralph Nader Radio Hour by Ralph Nader

Ralph Nader Radio Hour

1,187 Listeners

The Dig by Daniel Denvir

The Dig

1,562 Listeners

The Intercept Briefing by The Intercept

The Intercept Briefing

6,107 Listeners

Citations Needed by Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson

Citations Needed

3,909 Listeners

Current Affairs by Current Affairs

Current Affairs

622 Listeners

Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer by Civic Ventures

Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer

1,484 Listeners

Know Your Enemy by Matthew Sitman

Know Your Enemy

2,035 Listeners

Tech Won't Save Us by Paris Marx

Tech Won't Save Us

551 Listeners

This Machine Kills by This Machine Kills

This Machine Kills

208 Listeners

Bad Faith by Briahna Joy Gray

Bad Faith

2,698 Listeners

American Prestige by Daniel Bessner & Derek Davison

American Prestige

1,046 Listeners

Lever Time by David Sirota

Lever Time

557 Listeners

The Chris Hedges Report by Chris Hedges

The Chris Hedges Report

332 Listeners