How a Minnesota entrepreneur turned a patented poly-foam pillow into a national media force
In short: Founded in 2009 by Mike Lindell, My Pillow grew from a local kiosk operation into a manufacturing giant. By leveraging aggressive infomercial campaigns and high-profile media sponsorships, the company has sold over 41 million pillows, though its rapid rise has been marked by persistent legal battles and public controversy.
The company originated from Mike Lindell's efforts to develop a pillow using a specific mix of open-cell poly-foam pieces. Lindell, who tested 94 different foam types, designed a machine inspired by farm equipment to chop the material. This patented design allows the pillow to retain its shape when molded to a user's preference. Initially, Lindell hand-sewed the products and sold them at mall kiosks and trade shows, but the company's trajectory shifted dramatically following a 30-minute infomercial that debuted in October 2011. This marketing strategy proved highly effective, eventually leading to a production capacity of approximately 25,000 pillows per day at a 70,000 square-foot plant in Shakopee, Minnesota.
Despite its commercial success, the company has faced significant scrutiny regarding its marketing and business practices. It has been the subject of multiple lawsuits, including a 2016 settlement in California where it agreed to pay $1 million to resolve allegations of false advertising. Critics and regulators have challenged claims that the pillows could treat medical conditions like insomnia, sleep apnea, and fibromyalgia. Furthermore, the Better Business Bureau revoked the company's accreditation in 2017, citing numerous consumer complaints, particularly regarding the perpetual nature of its buy-one-get-one-free promotions, which the bureau argued violated its advertising codes.
My Pillow has also become deeply intertwined with political media and activism. The company became a primary advertiser on conservative programs, such as Tucker Carlson Tonight, where it reportedly accounted for nearly 38 percent of the show's advertising revenue in the first half of 2020. This political alignment has led to both boycotts and legal challenges, including a $1.3 billion lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems in 2021 over false claims regarding voting machines. While the company has engaged in philanthropic efforts, such as donating 60,000 pillows to Hurricane Harvey victims in 2017, its brand remains a lightning rod for debate, balancing massive retail reach against ongoing legal and reputational challenges.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: My Pillow
- Also: Wikidata — My Pillow · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Mike Lindell · CC0
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