History of Mike Lindell in Timeline
Michael James Lindell, or the "My Pillow Guy," is an American businessman and the CEO of My Pillow, a company that makes pillows, bedding, and slippers. He is also known for his political activism and conspiracy theories.
June 28, 1961: Birth of Mike Lindell
On June 28, 1961, Michael James Lindell, also known as the "My Pillow Guy," was born.
1961: Early Life and Struggles
In 1961, Lindell's gambling addiction emerged in his teenage years.
2004: Invention of My Pillow
In 2004, Lindell invented My Pillow, a pillow filled with shredded foam pieces.
2009: Achieving Sobriety
In 2009, Lindell achieved sobriety through prayer.
June 2013: Lindell Marries Dallas Yocum
Mike Lindell married Dallas Yocum in June 2013.
July 2013: Lindell's Marriage to Dallas Yocum Ends
Lindell filed for divorce from Dallas Yocum in July 2013 after she left him, just a month after their marriage. He confirmed they had a prenuptial agreement in place.
August 2016: Lindell Meets Trump and Becomes Avid Supporter
Lindell met then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in August 2016 and became an avid supporter.
October 19, 2016: Lindell Attends Presidential Debate
On October 19, 2016, Lindell attended the final presidential debate in Las Vegas.
November 6, 2016: Lindell Speaks at Trump Rally
Lindell spoke at a Trump campaign rally in Minneapolis on November 6, 2016.
November 8, 2016: Lindell's Comments on God and the 2016 Election
Lindell stated at a White House coronavirus press conference that "God gave us grace on November 8, 2016, to change the course we were on."
2017: White House Roundtable
In 2017, Lindell sat next to Trump at an industry roundtable event at the White House.
2017: Better Business Bureau Revokes My Pillow Accreditation
In 2017, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) revoked the accreditation of My Pillow, lowering its rating to an F due to a pattern of customer complaints.
June 27, 2018: Trump Compliments Lindell's Business Acumen
At a rally in Fargo, North Dakota on June 27, 2018, Trump complimented Lindell's "business acumen."
October 4, 2018: Lindell Speaks at Trump Rally in Rochester
On October 4, 2018, Lindell spoke at a Trump rally in Rochester, Minnesota.
August 2019: Lindell's Speech at Liberty University
In August 2019, Lindell stated at Liberty University that meeting Trump felt like a "divine appointment."
2019: Launch of Lindell Recovery Network
Lindell launched the Lindell Recovery Network in 2019, connecting addicts with others in recovery, faith-based treatment centers, and recovery organizations.
2019: Lindell's Speech at CPAC
Lindell delivered a speech at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference, praising Trump.
2019: Lindell Receives Honorary Doctorate and Publishes Autobiography
In 2019, Mike Lindell received an honorary Doctor of Business degree from Liberty University. He also self-published his autobiography, "What Are the Odds? From Crack Addict to CEO," where he details his journey of overcoming drug addiction and attributes his success to divine intervention.
2019: Meeting on Opioid Addiction and Bill Signing
In 2019, Lindell met with Trump to discuss opioid addiction and was present when Trump signed a bipartisan bill addressing the opioid crisis.
March 2020: My Pillow Shifts to Face Mask Production
In March 2020, Lindell announced that his company had shifted its bedding factories to produce face masks at the Trump administration's request.
May 2020: Lindell Becomes Campaign Chair for Trump's Reelection in Minnesota
Lindell became the campaign chair for Trump's reelection campaign in Minnesota in May 2020.
July 2020: Lindell Considers Running for Governor
By July 2020, Lindell was "99% sure" about running for Minnesota governor but ultimately did not run.
September 2020: Twitter Implements Civic Integrity Policy
In September 2020, Twitter implemented a new civic integrity policy to combat disinformation, which later became a factor in Lindell's ban.
November 2020: Lindell Contributes to Kenosha Shooter's Bail
In November 2020, Lindell contributed to the bail fund for Kyle Rittenhouse, the Kenosha shooter. Although initial reports suggested he donated a large sum for Rittenhouse's bail directly, Lindell claimed he donated to a foundation supporting election fraud litigation.
December 14, 2020: Lindell's Bus Tour Challenging Election Results Concludes
Lindell sponsored and spoke at multiple stops of a bus tour that aimed to challenge the 2020 election results. The tour ended in Washington, D.C., on December 14, 2020.
December 2020: Dominion Issues Cease-and-Desist Letters to Lindell
Dominion sent cease-and-desist letters to Lindell in December 2020 and January 2021, demanding him to stop spreading false information about their company and retract previous statements.
2020: Lindell Supports Trump's Election Overturn Attempts
Following Trump's 2020 election defeat, Lindell actively supported and financed Trump's attempts to overturn the results, furthering unfounded claims of election fraud.
2020: Mike Lindell's Support for Donald Trump
In 2020, Lindell became a prominent supporter and advisor to former U.S. President Donald Trump, financing Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election results based on disproven conspiracy theories about widespread electoral fraud.
2020: Darren Lindell Becomes COO
In 2020, Lindell named his son, Darren, as My Pillow's chief operating officer.
2020: Lindell Promotes Oleandrin as COVID-19 Treatment
Lindell promoted the toxic substance oleandrin as a COVID-19 treatment in 2020, despite the lack of scientific evidence. He even arranged a meeting between then-President Trump and a representative from a company Lindell had a financial stake in, to pitch the substance.
2020: Lindell's "Absolute Proof" Wins Golden Raspberry Awards
Lindell's film, "Absolute Proof," received the Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Picture and Worst Actor in 2020, a satirical award for poorly-received films.
January 15, 2021: Lindell Brings Document to White House Suggesting Martial Law
On January 15, 2021, Lindell carried a document into the White House, which appeared to suggest implementing martial law and other extreme measures following the 2020 election.
January 2021: Dominion Issues Cease-and-Desist Letters to Lindell
Dominion sent cease-and-desist letters to Lindell in December 2020 and January 2021, demanding him to stop spreading false information about their company and retract previous statements.
January 2021: Lindell Sues Daily Mail for Libel Over Relationship Allegations
In January 2021, Lindell filed a lawsuit against the Daily Mail, alleging libel after the publication ran a story about his alleged nine-month relationship with actress Jane Krakowski between late 2019 and the summer of 2020. Both Lindell and Krakowski refuted the claims.
January 25, 2021: Twitter Permanently Bans Lindell and My Pillow Accounts
Twitter permanently banned Lindell's personal account on January 25, 2021, for spreading election misinformation. Lindell tried to circumvent the ban using the My Pillow account, leading to its ban as well.
February 2, 2021: Lindell Makes False Claims on Newsmax, Gets Cut Off
Lindell appeared on Newsmax on February 2, 2021, and despite warnings, repeated false claims about rigged voting machines, leading to the anchor cutting the interview short.
February 5, 2021: Lindell's Election Conspiracy Documentary Removed from YouTube
On February 5, 2021, Lindell's documentary "Absolute Proof," promoting false election claims, was removed from YouTube for violating its election disinformation policy.
February 2021: Dominion Warns Lindell of Legal Action over Defamation
Dominion sent a legal warning to Lindell in February 2021, stating their intent to sue him for defamation if he continued to spread false claims about their voting machines.
February 22, 2021: Dominion Sues Lindell and My Pillow for Defamation
Dominion filed a defamation lawsuit against Lindell and My Pillow on February 22, 2021, seeking US$1.3 billion in damages for Lindell's persistent false claims about their voting machines.
March 2021: Lindell Announces Plans for Alt-Tech Social Media Platform
In March 2021, Lindell announced plans for an alt-tech social media platform, initially called Vocl, envisioned as a hybrid of YouTube and Twitter.
March 2021: Lindell Relocates Due to Safety Concerns
In March 2021, Lindell shared on "The Domenick Nati Show" that he had moved from Minnesota and was no longer attending events in person because of safety concerns.
March 2021: Lindell Countersues Dominion for Racketeering and Election Interference
In March 2021, Mike Lindell, on Steve Bannon's podcast, stated his intent to countersue Dominion Voting Systems, accusing them of racketeering and election interference. He aimed to file these lawsuits on behalf of himself and his company, My Pillow.
April 19, 2021: Launch of Frank Speech
On April 19, 2021, Lindell's platform, renamed Frank, launched on the domain frankspeech.com after a dispute with a company that owned a website called Vocal.
April 20, 2021: Lindell Releases Second Election Conspiracy Documentary
Lindell released another documentary, "Absolute Interference," on April 20, 2021, further pushing debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
June 2021: Lindell Files Civil Suit Against Dominion and Smartmatic
In June 2021, Lindell filed a civil lawsuit against Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, further escalating his legal battles related to alleged election fraud.
September 2021: Idaho County Conducts Recount Following Lindell's Election Hacking Allegations
In September 2021, Bonner County, Idaho, initiated a recount of ballots from the 2020 presidential election in response to allegations by Mike Lindell. Lindell asserted that all 44 Idaho counties, including Bonner, had experienced digital hacking during the election, leading to vote manipulation.
December 2021: Court Dismisses Lindell's Libel Suit Against Daily Mail
A federal court dismissed Mike Lindell's libel lawsuit against the Daily Mail in December 2021. The court ruled that Lindell failed to identify specific statements in the Daily Mail's article that a reasonable person would consider defamatory.
2021: Retailers Drop My Pillow Products
In 2021, some major retailers stopped carrying My Pillow products. Lindell suggested it was due to his claims about the 2020 election, while retailers cited market research and low customer demand.
January 2022: Smartmatic Sues Lindell for Defamation
In January 2022, Smartmatic filed a defamation lawsuit against Lindell for spreading false claims that negatively impacted their company's value, adding to Lindell's legal troubles.
January 2022: Lindell Claims to Possess Evidence of Election Fraud
In January 2022, Lindell claimed he had enough evidence to imprison approximately 300 million people, which represented about 91% of the US population at the time, for their alleged involvement in the 2020 election fraud.
March 2022: Lindell's Spending on Frank
By March 2022, Lindell was reportedly spending over $1 million per month on Frank.
April 2022: FrankSocial Launch
In April 2022, FrankSocial, a social networking site hosted on a different domain, became available, with a design reminiscent of Facebook in 2012.
April 2022: Lindell's Donation to Colorado Candidate Raises Legal Questions
In April 2022, Lindell's large donation to a legal defense fund for Tina Peters, a Colorado Secretary of State candidate, sparked scrutiny. The donation amount potentially violated Colorado state law, leading to an ethics commission investigation into the fund's transparency.
May 2022: Federal Court Dismisses Lindell and MyPillow's Claims Against Dominion and Smartmatic
In May 2022, a federal court dismissed all claims made by Mike Lindell and MyPillow against Dominion Voting Systems, Smartmatic, and their legal representatives. The court also ruled that Lindell and his company would be responsible for Smartmatic's attorney fees due to the frivolous nature of their claims.
May 2022: Lindell Briefly Rejoins Twitter, Gets Banned Again
Lindell rejoined Twitter in May 2022, bypassing a previous ban, but was quickly banned again for violating Twitter's ban evasion policy.
September 13, 2022: FBI Serves Search and Seizure Warrant for Lindell's Phone
On September 13, 2022, the FBI executed a search and seizure warrant on Mike Lindell's phone. According to Lindell, this occurred while he was at a fast-food drive-through in Minnesota, where FBI agents surrounded his vehicle.
November 2022: Lindell Announces Candidacy for RNC Chair
Lindell announced his candidacy for Chair of the Republican National Committee in November 2022.
2022: Lindell Considers Running for Governor of Minnesota
Lindell considered running for governor of Minnesota in 2022 against Democratic incumbent Tim Walz.
January 27, 2023: Lindell Loses RNC Chair Election
On January 27, 2023, Lindell's bid for Chair of the Republican National Committee ended in defeat, receiving only a small fraction of the total votes.
April 20, 2023: Lindell Ordered to Pay $5 Million in Election Data Challenge
On April 20, 2023, an arbitration panel ruled that Mike Lindell was required to pay $5 million to Robert Zeidman, a software developer who successfully challenged Lindell's claims regarding Chinese interference in the 2020 election. Lindell had offered the reward to anyone who could disprove his allegations, which were based on a dataset he claimed proved election manipulation.
July 2023: MyPillow Auctions Equipment and Subleases Manufacturing Space
By July 2023, MyPillow had auctioned off equipment and subleased some of their manufacturing space after more retailers stopped selling their products.
August 2023: Lindell Proposes Using Drones to Monitor Polling Places for Voter Fraud
In August 2023, Mike Lindell announced his intention to deploy drones equipped with wireless sniffing devices near polling stations. He claimed that this measure would help prevent voter fraud by detecting whether voting machines were connected to the internet.
October 2023: Lindell's Legal Firm Drops Him Over Unpaid Fees
In October 2023, Lindell's legal team revealed in a court filing that he owed millions of dollars in unpaid legal fees and they could no longer represent him. Lindell, however, expressed gratitude for his attorneys' work.
February 21, 2024: Court Confirms $5 Million Award Against Lindell in Election Data Challenge
On February 21, 2024, a US District Court confirmed the $5 million arbitration award against Mike Lindell. This award stemmed from Lindell's challenge offering $5 million to anyone who could disprove his claim of a dataset showing Chinese interference in the 2020 election, which was successfully disproven by Robert Zeidman.
April 6, 2024: Lindell's Third Marriage Publicly Announced
Lindell's third marriage was publicly revealed by Donald Trump during a rally held on April 6, 2024.