History of My Pillow in Timeline
My Pillow, Inc., founded in 2009 by Mike Lindell in Chaska, Minnesota, is an American company known for manufacturing the patented My Pillow, an open-cell, poly-foam pillow. Initially sold through Lindell's previous venture, Night Moves Minnesota, LLC, from 2004 to 2009, My Pillows gained significant traction through TV infomercials, resulting in sales exceeding 41 million units. The company's workforce expanded remarkably, from a modest five employees in 2004 to a considerable 1,500 by 2017.
2004: Start of My Pillow Sales
Mike Lindell began selling his innovative open-cell, poly-foam pillow design, My Pillow, in 2004 through his company Night Moves Minnesota, LLC. This marked the beginning of his journey in the pillow industry.
2005: First My Pillow Sale
The first My Pillow was sold in 2005 at a kiosk in Eden Prairie Center, Minnesota. The company faced challenges in the early years, struggling to gain traction while selling at mall kiosks, state fairs, and trade shows.
2009: Founding of My Pillow, Inc.
Mike Lindell founded My Pillow, Inc. in 2009, marking the official incorporation of his pillow business. Prior to this, he had been selling the pillows through his company Night Moves Minnesota, LLC, since 2004.
October 2011: Infomercial Launch and Success
My Pillow's breakthrough came in October 2011 with the launch of their infomercial. The 30-minute show, shot in a single day, cost $500,000 to produce and launch, but its success proved to be a turning point for the company.
2012: First Retail Store Opening
My Pillow expanded its reach in 2012 by opening its first retail store in Burnsville, Minnesota. This marked a move towards a more traditional brick-and-mortar presence in addition to their online and infomercial sales.
September 2013: Infomercial Dominance and Growth
By September 2013, the My Pillow infomercial was airing an average of 200 times per day on local and national networks. This extensive exposure contributed significantly to the company's growth, boosting sales beyond 30 million pillows and increasing their workforce from 50 to over 1,500 employees.
2013: Q-Star Award from QVC
My Pillow received the prestigious Q-Star Award for Product Concept of the Year from QVC in 2013. This award recognized the uniqueness and innovation of their pillow design.
2013: Start of BBB Complaints
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) began receiving complaints about My Pillow in 2013, primarily concerning their persistent "buy one, get one free" offer. This marked the start of increasing scrutiny on the company's advertising practices.
March 2015: MyPillow Donates Pillows to Cancer Patients
In March 2015, MyPillow demonstrated their commitment to giving back by donating pillows to the Sandra J. Schulze American Cancer Society Hope Lodge. This generous act provided comfort to cancer patients and their caregivers during their stay at the lodge while undergoing treatment.
July 2015: Guinness World Record for Largest Pillow Fight
In July 2015, Mike Lindell and My Pillow sponsored an event at a St. Paul Saints baseball game that set a new Guinness World Record for the world's largest pillow fight. The event saw 6,261 participants, breaking the previous record of 4,201.
April 2016: Class Action Lawsuit and BBB Complaints
In April 2016, a class action lawsuit was proposed against My Pillow alleging false advertising. One of the complaints centered around Mike Lindell's marketing as a "Sleep Expert" despite lacking relevant certifications or training. Additionally, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) received numerous complaints about the company between 2013 and 2016.
August 2016: Sales Tax Issue and Settlement
My Pillow faced charges in August 2016 from the New York State Attorney General's office for failing to collect and remit over $500,000 in sales tax. While denying any wrongdoing, the company agreed to a $1.1 million settlement.
November 1, 2016: Settlement for False Advertising Lawsuit
On November 1, 2016, My Pillow reached a $1 million settlement in a false advertising lawsuit brought by Alameda County and eight other California counties. The lawsuit challenged the company's marketing claims, including unsubstantiated claims about their products' health benefits. As part of the settlement, My Pillow was prohibited from making claims about curing or treating diseases without scientific evidence and from presenting themselves as the "official pillow" of the National Sleep Foundation due to undisclosed financial ties.
2016: Mixed Consumer Reports Review
Consumer Reports published a review of My Pillow's products in 2016, revealing mixed feedback from at-home testing. Notably, only a third of the participants stated they would purchase MyPillow products again.
January 2017: BBB Accreditation Revoked and Rating Lowered
In January 2017, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) revoked My Pillow's accreditation and downgraded their rating from an A+ to an F. This decision was based on a large number of consumer complaints, mainly focused on their continuous "buy one, get one free" offer, which the BBB deemed misleading as it violated their code of advertising.
November 2017: Settlement of Class Action Lawsuit
A class action lawsuit challenging My Pillow's marketing practices, including health claims, promotions, endorsements, and logos, was settled in November 2017. This marked another instance where the company faced legal action related to their advertising and sales strategies.
2017: Significant Growth and Expansion
By 2017, My Pillow had grown significantly, employing 1,500 people, a huge increase from the five employees it started with in 2004. This growth was largely driven by the success of their TV infomercials, which helped them reach a wider audience and sell over 41 million pillows.
2017: Class Action Lawsuit Settlement
In 2017, My Pillow faced legal challenges and settled a class action lawsuit related to misleading advertising practices, particularly regarding their "buy one, get one free" promotions.
2017: MyPillow Expands Charitable Giving Program
In 2017, MyPillow expanded its charitable efforts by implementing a program to donate a pillow for every order placed within specific Minnesota communities. This initiative extended their reach to support various organizations, including homeless shelters and hospitals. MyPillow's dedication to giving back went beyond Minnesota, as they donated over 10,000 pillows to numerous states, including South Dakota, Nebraska, Arizona, Idaho, South Carolina, North Carolina, Montana, and New York. Furthermore, they made a substantial donation of 60,000 pillows to aid victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, demonstrating their commitment to assisting those in need.
2017: Retail Expansion and Distribution
By 2017, My Pillow had expanded its retail footprint to 17 locations across Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. In addition to their own stores, they also sold their products through various channels including QVC, major retailers, trade shows, and their website.
March 2018: Student-Led Boycott Targets Laura Ingraham and Fox News Advertisers
In March 2018, student activists, including David Hogg, from the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting initiated a boycott of Fox News's "The Ingraham Angle." This action came after host Laura Ingraham made disrespectful remarks about Hogg. Consequently, many advertisers withdrew their support for the show.
April 2018: MyPillow Increases Advertising on "The Ingraham Angle" Amidst Boycott
In April 2018, while numerous advertisers distanced themselves from "The Ingraham Angle" due to the boycott sparked by host Laura Ingraham's controversial comments, MyPillow took a different approach. The company decided to increase its advertising expenditures on the show significantly, with a staggering 625% surge in ad buys during the first week of April. This move positioned MyPillow as a staunch supporter of Ingraham amidst widespread criticism.
May 2018: Breaking the Pillow Fight Record Again
Mike Lindell and My Pillow once again broke the Guinness World Record for the world's largest pillow fight in May 2018. This time, the record-breaking event took place at the PULSE Movement event held at the U.S. Bank Stadium, with over 45,000 people participating in the pillow fight after a prayer led by Lindell.
March 2020: Shift to Face Mask Production During COVID-19 Pandemic
In March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, Mike Lindell announced that My Pillow would shift 75% of its production to making cotton face masks. Initially, these masks were intended as donations to healthcare workers, but they were later made available for purchase on the My Pillow website.
June 2020: MyPillow Becomes Top Advertiser on "Tucker Carlson Tonight"
By June 2020, MyPillow had become the biggest spender on advertising on Fox News's "Tucker Carlson Tonight." This development occurred as many major companies had chosen to withdraw their advertising support from the program, making MyPillow a significant financial backer. Data analysis estimated that MyPillow contributed to nearly 38% of Carlson's advertising revenue in the first half of 2020, highlighting the company's substantial investment in the show.
August 2020: Continued "Buy One, Get One Free" Offer Scrutiny
My Pillow continued to face criticism and scrutiny for their ongoing "buy one, get one free" promotion as of August 2020, highlighting the company's ongoing challenges with advertising practices and consumer perception.
December 14, 2020: MyPillow Sponsors Bus Tour Supporting Trump's Election Overturn Efforts
On December 14, 2020, a two-week bus tour concluded. This tour, sponsored by MyPillow and hosted by Amy Kremer, aimed to rally support for Donald Trump's endeavors to overturn the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The company's backing of this tour, along with its use of politically charged discount codes in advertisements on conservative media platforms, reflected its alignment with Trump's post-election challenges.
January 2021: Threat of Lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems
Dominion Voting Systems threatened legal action against Mike Lindell in January 2021 over his allegations of widespread election fraud involving their machines. These claims were later found to be baseless.
February 2021: David Hogg Announces Launch of MyPillow Competitor
In February 2021, David Hogg, a prominent gun control activist, revealed his plan to establish an "ethical" competitor to MyPillow. This move was widely seen as a direct challenge to MyPillow and its CEO, Mike Lindell, who had become a controversial figure due to his political stances and support for Donald Trump's unfounded election fraud claims.
February 2021: MyPillow's Twitter Account Suspended for Policy Violations
In February 2021, the official MyPillow Twitter account (@mypillowusa) faced permanent suspension due to violations of Twitter's policies. This action came after Mike Lindell, the company's CEO, used the account to circumvent a ban on his personal account, which had been suspended for promoting misinformation related to the election. Lindell's attempt to use the company's platform to criticize Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey ultimately led to the permanent suspension of MyPillow's official account.
February 22, 2021: Dominion Voting Systems Files Lawsuit
Dominion Voting Systems filed a $1.3 billion lawsuit against MyPillow and Mike Lindell on February 22, 2021, following through on earlier threats to sue over Lindell's baseless claims of election fraud involving their machines.
April 2021: David Hogg Exits Good Pillow Venture
In April 2021, David Hogg stepped down from his role at Good Pillow, the company he had envisioned as an ethical alternative to MyPillow, and relinquished all his shares. This move marked the end of Hogg's brief foray into the pillow industry and his attempt to challenge MyPillow's market presence.
April 2021: My Pillow Countersues Dominion Voting Systems
Mike Lindell and My Pillow responded to Dominion Voting Systems' lawsuit by filing a countersuit in April 2021, accusing Dominion of "debasing the legal system." This action further escalated the legal battle between the two entities.
2022: Lawsuit by Smartmatic
My Pillow and Mike Lindell faced a lawsuit in 2022 filed by election technology company Smartmatic. The lawsuit alleged that they made false claims about Smartmatic voting machines to promote My Pillow products.
January 2024: Dispute with Fox Over Advertising Credit
Mike Lindell revealed in January 2024 that Fox had reduced his advertising credit, leading to a dispute. Lindell, who was spending an average of $1 million per week on ads with Fox, claimed that the network had cut him off at a $7.8 million debt, which he argued was within his credit line. He accused Fox of trying to silence him.
September 20, 2024: MyPillow Runs Controversial Sale Advertisement
On September 20, 2024, MyPillow ran an advertisement on X (formerly Twitter) for a sale on their pillows priced at $14.88. The price, which aligns with a numerical code used by white supremacists, sparked criticism and accusations that MyPillow was using a Nazi dog whistle. While numerous white supremacist accounts voiced support for the company, Mike Lindell, the CEO, denied any intentional connection to extremist ideology, dismissing the backlash as a media attack.