How MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell went from exemplifying Trump's image of American entrepreneurship to touting a dubious coronavirus 'cure' to the FDA through the president
Lauren Frias
- MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell, a major Trump supporter and donor, has formed a close allyship with the president since the entreprenuer was first tapped for an event promoting American manufacturers.
- Earlier this week, the MyPillow CEO has recently been embroiled in controversy with regards to his support for an unproven coronavirus "cure," the botanical extract oleandrin.
- Lindell sits on the board of Phoenix Biotechnology, the company developing the product and has a financial stake in Phoenix, thus benefiting from potential sales of the product.
- Here's how the entrepreneur used his connections with the president to push for FDA approval of the unproven coronavirus treatment.
Founder and CEO of MyPillow Mike Lindell, otherwise known as the "MyPillow guy," was first tapped by President Donald Trump in the early days of his presidency to exemplify American entrepreneurship.
A major Trump donor and Fox News advertiser, Lindell formed a close allyship with the president, with Trump referring to Lindell as a "friend" and called his company's sales "unbelievable."
The MyPillow CEO, who does not have a science or medicine background, has recently been embroiled in controversy with regards to his support for an unproven coronavirus "cure," the botanical extract oleandrin — derived from the oleander plant which is toxic to humans when consumed raw. There is no known cure for the novel coronavirus.
Lindell sits on the board of Phoenix Biotechnology, the company developing the product, and has a financial stake in Phoenix and would benefit from potential sales of the product.
Here's how the entrepreneur used his connections with the president to push for FDA approval of the unproven coronavirus treatment:
Lindell, who began the MyPillow company while battling drug addiction, grew his idea into a multi-million dollar company in the early 2010s.
Source: CNBC
The self-made millionaire sat next to the president during a "Made in America" event highlighting other US manufacturers in 2017.
Source: Business Insider
Lindell is a major Trump donor and has appeared at campaign rallies and White House press briefings to boost the president.
In March, Lindell appeared at a White House press briefing to announce that he was converting production at MyPillow to produce up to 50,000 face masks for health workers at the front lines of the pandemic.
While it was technically not violating ethics laws by promoting his campaign donors, Donald Sherman, deputy director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said the practice "confirms cronyism is at the root of practically every decision President Trump makes."
"It's loyalty or patronage to Trump that gets you at the top of the list, whether it's a place on the White House lawn to promote your business, input in the coronavirus response, ambassadorships, and even IG positions," Sherman told Insider's Eliza Relman.
Source: Fox News, Business Insider
Through his connections with Trump, Lindell touted an unproven coronavirus treatment, to the president and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson, who serves on the White House coronavirus task force.
Lindell does not have a background in science or medicine. Carson has expertise in pediatric neurosurgery and has also vouched for oleandrin to the president, though the HUD secretary's range of knowledge on antiviral drugs is not immediately clear.
A senior administration official expressed concern about Carson and Lindell's "involvement" in recommending the product.
"The involvement of the Secretary of HUD and MyPillow.com in pushing a dubious product at the highest levels should give Americans no comfort at night about their health and safety during a raging pandemic," the official told Axios.
Source: Axios, Business Insider
Lindell said the president was "enthusiastic" about the dubious drug, and that Trump "basically said" the FDA "should be approving" oleandrin as a treatment for COVID-19.
Lindell has a financial stake in Phoenix Biotechnology, the company developing the oleandrin product, and sits on the company board.
In July, the MyPillow CEO also helped arrange a meeting for Phoenix executive Andrew Whitney with Trump to relay the medical benefits of oleandrin and push for FDA approval of the drug.
In an interview with Axios, Whitney said he stood by his claim that oleandrin "cured" COVID-19 in a span of two days, and he is actively pushing for the botanical extract to make it to shelves — even as a dietary supplement instead of an approved coronavirus treatment to speed up its distribution.
"Now, there are all sorts of lawyers who would tell me I can't say things like that, because you know you need to have years of studies, and you need to have this, that, and the other, and so forth," Whitney told Axios. "But as an American with a right of free expression, I'm telling you, I've seen it with my own eyes."
There is no known cure for COVID-19 the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Source: Business Insider, Axios
CNN's Anderson Cooper excoriated Lindell during an interview, reiterating that the MyPillow entrepreneur has "no medical background" and is "not a scientist."
"A guy called you in April and said he had this product," Cooper said during the interview. "You are now on the board and are going to make money from the sale of this product. The reason he reached out to you is you have the ear of the president."
"How do you sleep at night?" the CNN anchor questioned.
"Anderson, that's your narrative," Lindell responded. The MyPillow inventor went on to accuse "the media" of suppressing information on the coronavirus "cure" from the American public out of spite for the president.
Source: Business Insider
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