Michael J. Lindell

Michael James Lindell (born June 28, 1961), is an American inventor, businessman, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of My Pillow, Inc., and is sometimes referred to as "the My Pillow guy".

Lindell was born on June 28, 1961, in Mankato, Minnesota, and was raised in Chaska and Carver, Minnesota.

Prior to inventing MyPillow, Lindell launched and operated a number of small businesses including carpet cleaning, lunch wagons, and a few bars and restaurants in Carver County, Minnesota. Duringthe 1980s and 1990s, Lindell was addicted to cocaine, crack cocaine, and alcohol, leading to foreclosure of his house, and his wife filing for divorce. Lindell stated that he achieved sobriety through prayer in 2009, and, since then, has been clean.

Lindell invented the MyPillow pillow in 2004 and grew the business into a major Minnesota manufacturing company.

Lindell has been married twice. He married his second wife, Dallas Yocumin, in June 2013; however, a few weeks later, in mid-July 2013, Yocumin filed for divorce. Yocumin said they "don't have anything in common and [he] ruined the last two years of [her] life." Lindell stated that they had a prenuptial agreement.

In March 2017, Lindell produced The Mike Lindell Story: An American Dream, about having overcome drug addiction and building a multi-million-dollar business. The autobiography was filmed at the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

On August 21, 2019, Lindell was presented with an honorary Doctor of Business from Liberty University.

Lindell created the Lindell Foundation, a faith-based foundation originally started to help addicts and MyPillow employees. The Lindell Foundation had a soft launch nationwide in August 2017, with a special project to help Hurricane Harvey victims. The foundation's focus was then broadened to help people with any personal problem, including addictions, work and spousal problems, cancer victims, and veterans.

The Lindell Recovery Network was founded by Lindell to "bring hope, recovery, and mentorship" to those struggling with drug addictions. The platform shares stories from recovered addicts to those looking to overcome their own addictions. The network also provides information on vetted Christian recovery organizations, as well as access to mentors for help with recovery. The Lindell Recovery Network was highlighted in an October 24, 2018, Opioid Crisis meeting hosted by President Trump at the White House. Lindell attended this meeting with 21 other private-sector and nonprofit partners.

On January 16, 2020, Lindell released his memoir, What Are the Odds? From Crack Addict to CEO, an account of his entrepreneurial journey from battling addictions, hardships, and failures to becoming CEO of MyPillow. Proceeds from the book will help launch the Lindell Recovery Network.

In 2016, Lindell's My Pillow company was sued in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland, California for running ads with false claims of the pillow helping with snoring, fibromyalgia, migraines and other medical conditions.Prosecutors in nine California counties brought the charges against the misleading infomercials.MyPillow settled for about $1 million, while admitting no wrongdoing. "We did nothing wrong. We did not make any misleading claims," Lindell told NBC News. "Rather than fight this, I made a business decision to prevent long and costly litigation, pay this and move on."

In 2017, the Better Business Bureau revoked accreditation of MyPillow, lowering its rating to an F based on a pattern of complaints by consumers.The BBB cited a Buy One, Get One offer that became a continuous offer and therefore the normal price of the product, not a sale price or free offer. Lindell released a statement: "MyPillow was built on our dedication to our customers' satisfaction. We run sales and specials for our customers, so that we can give as many people as possible the chance to have a great night’s sleep. Naturally, I am terribly disappointed by the BBB's decision."

In August 2016, Lindell met with then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and became an avid supporter, calling Trump "the most amazing president this country has ever seen in history", following his 2016 election. In a speech at Liberty University in August, 2019, Lindell said "When I met with Donald Trump, it felt like a divine appointment, and when I walked out of that office I decided I was going to go all in."

On October 19, 2016, Lindell attended the final presidential debate in Las Vegas. He spoke at a Trump campaign rally in Minneapolis on November 6, 2016, and attended the Official Donald Watch Party on November 8. He attended Trump's inauguration, receiving an inauguration lapel pin as a personal gift from President Trump.

On July 19, 2017, Lindell sat next to President Trump at the White House's Made in America Roundtable with 19 other industry leaders, Vice President Mike Pence, White House staff members, and four US Representatives.

At a rally in Fargo, North Dakota on June 27, 2018, President Trump commended Lindell's business acumen. Lindell spoke at a Trump rally on October 4, 2018, in Rochester, Minnesota. Lindell spoke at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference, in which he promoted Trump as "the greatest president in history".

In March 2020, Lindell spoke at a White House Coronavirus press conference, subsequent to "refocusing" his bedding factories for face mask production, at the behest of President Trump. He said then that prayer was needed since religion had disappeared in public schools. Lindell also praised Trump's response to the crisis and encouraged Americans to "read [the] Bible and spend time with [your] families."

Lindell has considered running for governor of Minnesota in 2022 against incumbent Tim Walz. In May 2020, he became the campaign chair for President Trump's reelection campaign in Minnesota. A few hours before President Trump spoke at a 2020 Mount Rushmore Independence Day celebration, in response to an audience question at a small rally nearby, Lindell said he's "99% sure" about running for Minnesota governor.

• Mike Lindell (2019). What Are the Odds? From Crack Addict to CEO. Minnesota: Lindell Publishing. ISBN 978-1-7342-8341-9.