Career Timeline of Mike Lindell: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Mike Lindell, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Michael James Lindell, known as the "My Pillow Guy," is an American businessman, political activist, and conspiracy theorist. He is the founder and CEO of My Pillow, a company that manufactures pillows, bedding, and slippers. Lindell is a prominent supporter of Donald Trump and has actively promoted conspiracy theories related to the 2020 United States presidential election. His continued promotion of these unproven claims has led to significant controversy and legal challenges for himself and his company. He has also been involved in efforts to overturn election results.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2004: Invention of My Pillow

In 2004, Lindell invented My Pillow, which is a pillow filled with pieces of shredded foam that interlock. The business grew into a Minnesota manufacturing company.

2012: FrankSocial reminiscent of Facebook's 2012 design

In April 2022, a reporter for Insider described FrankSocial as reminiscent of Facebook's design in 2012, with a basic news feed and no messaging function.

August 2016: Met with Donald Trump

In August 2016, Lindell met with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and became an avid supporter.

October 19, 2016: Attended presidential debate

On October 19, 2016, Lindell attended the final presidential debate in Las Vegas.

November 6, 2016: Spoke at Trump rally in Minneapolis

On November 6, 2016, Lindell spoke at a Trump campaign rally in Minneapolis.

November 8, 2016: Refocused factory on face mask production

In March 2020, Lindell said his company's bedding factories had been refocused on face mask production at the behest of the Trump administration.

2017: Sat next to Trump at White House event

In 2017, Lindell sat next to Trump at an industry roundtable event at the White House.

2017: Better Business Bureau Revoked My Pillow Accreditation

In 2017, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) revoked the accreditation of My Pillow and lowered its rating to an F. This action was based on a pattern of consumer complaints related to a buy-one-get-one-free offer that was always available.

June 27, 2018: Trump complimented Lindell

On June 27, 2018, Trump complimented Lindell for his "business acumen" at a rally in Fargo, North Dakota.

October 4, 2018: Spoke at Trump rally

On October 4, 2018, Lindell spoke at a Trump rally in Rochester, Minnesota.

August 2019: Speech at Liberty University

In August 2019, during a speech at Liberty University, Lindell said that meeting Donald Trump felt like a divine appointment and that he decided to go "all in."

2019: Speech at CPAC

In 2019, Lindell delivered a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, in which he called Trump "the greatest president in history" and said he had been "chosen by God."

2019: Launch of Lindell Recovery Network

In 2019, Lindell launched the Lindell Recovery Network, which connects addicts with others who have gone through drug addiction and the recovery process, as well as faith-based treatment centers and other recovery organizations.

2019: Meeting with Trump to discuss opioid addiction

In 2019, Lindell met with Trump and a Trump staffer to discuss opioid addiction. Lindell was present when Trump signed a bipartisan bill that addressed the growing opioid crisis.

March 2020: Refocused factory on face mask production

In March 2020, Lindell said his company's bedding factories had been refocused on face mask production at the behest of the Trump administration.

May 2020: Campaign chair for Trump's reelection campaign

In May 2020, Lindell became the campaign chair for Trump's reelection campaign in Minnesota.

July 2020: Considered running for governor of Minnesota

In July 2020, Lindell said he was "99% sure" about running for Minnesota governor but ultimately did not run.

2020: Plans detailed for Vocl social media platform

In 2020, Lindell detailed plans for Vocl, an alt-tech social media platform he had been developing. He described the site as a cross between YouTube and Twitter.

2020: Son named COO of My Pillow

In 2020, Lindell named his son Darren as the company's chief operating officer, citing his own possible future political ambitions.

2020: Major retailers stopped carrying My Pillow products

In 2020, some major retailers stopped carrying My Pillow products. Lindell suggested this was a result of his claims relating to the 2020 United States presidential election results.

February 5, 2021: Broadcast of Absolute Proof

On February 5, 2021, Mike Lindell purchased airtime on One America News Network to broadcast "Absolute Proof," a documentary containing false claims about the 2020 election. YouTube removed the documentary on the same day.

March 2021: Plans detailed for Vocl social media platform

In March 2021, Lindell detailed plans for Vocl, an alt-tech social media platform he had been developing. He described the site as a cross between YouTube and Twitter.

April 19, 2021: Launch of Frank

On April 19, 2021, Lindell launched Frank on the domain frankspeech.com. The launch experienced many technical issues.

April 20, 2021: Publication of Absolute Interference

On April 20, 2021, Lindell published a second documentary titled "Absolute Interference," promoting debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and criticizing the news media and communism.

2021: Major retailers stopped carrying My Pillow products

In 2021, some major retailers stopped carrying My Pillow products. Lindell suggested this was a result of his claims relating to the 2020 United States presidential election results.

March 2022: Spending on Frank

In March 2022, Lindell told Insider he was spending over $1 million per month on Frank.

April 2022: FrankSocial becomes available

In April 2022, FrankSocial, a social networking site hosted on a different domain, became available.

April 21, 2022: Lindell had 308 followers on FrankSocial

As of April 21, 2022, Lindell had 308 followers on FrankSocial, more than any other user.

November 2022: Announced candidacy for RNC Chair

In November 2022, Lindell announced that he was running for Chair of the Republican National Committee.

2022: Considered running for governor of Minnesota

In 2022, Lindell had considered running for governor of Minnesota against Democratic incumbent Tim Walz, reportedly at Trump's urging.

January 27, 2023: Lost RNC Chair Election

On January 27, 2023, Lindell lost the election for Chair of the Republican National Committee, receiving four of the 167 votes cast.

July 2023: MyPillow auctioned off equipment and subleased manufacturing space

In July 2023, MyPillow had auctioned off equipment and subleased some of their manufacturing space after more retailers, including Walmart and Slumberland Furniture, stopped retailing My Pillow products.