Mike Lindell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Lindell
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Lindell in 2025
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Michael James Lindell
June 28, 1961 Mankato, Minnesota, U.S.
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| Education | University of Minnesota (attended) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 4 |
Michael James Lindell (born June 28, 1961), often called the My Pillow Guy, is an American businessman and political activist. He is the founder and CEO of My Pillow, a company that makes pillows, bedding, and slippers.
Lindell is a well-known supporter and advisor to former U.S. President Donald Trump. After the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Lindell supported Trump's attempts to challenge the election results. He shared unproven ideas about the election. He has also promoted unproven health treatments.
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Early Life and Career
Michael Lindell was born in Mankato, Minnesota, on June 28, 1961. He grew up in the nearby towns of Chaska and Carver, Minnesota. After high school, he attended the University of Minnesota but left after a few months.
In the 1980s, Lindell started several small businesses. These included a carpet cleaning service, lunch carts, and a few bars and restaurants in Carver County, Minnesota. Lindell has said that his faith helped him overcome personal struggles in 2009.
My Pillow Company
In 2004, Lindell invented the My Pillow, which is filled with interlocking pieces of shredded foam. He built the business into a large manufacturing company in Minnesota.
In 2017, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), an organization that rates businesses, gave My Pillow an "F" rating. The BBB said a "buy one, get one free" deal was offered so often that it became the regular price, not a special sale.
In 2020, Lindell made his son Darren the chief operating officer of the company.
Some major stores stopped selling My Pillow products in 2021. Lindell claimed this was because of his political statements. However, stores like Kohl's and Bed Bath & Beyond said it was due to low customer demand. In 2023, MyPillow sold some of its equipment after more stores, including Walmart, stopped carrying its products.
Media and Philanthropy
Media Ventures
| Type of business | Private |
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Type of site
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Video streaming |
| Available in | English |
| Traded as | OTC Pink: MLMC |
| Founder(s) | Mike Lindell |
| Industry | Internet |
Lindell runs a media company with two websites. One is LindellTV.com, a video streaming site. The other is a social media site called Vocl.com.
In March 2021, Lindell announced plans for a new social media platform. He said it would be a mix of YouTube and Twitter. The site, called Frank, launched in April 2021 but had many technical problems. The site mainly shows video streams, including a video that promoted unproven ideas about the 2020 election.
Lindell has said he spent millions of dollars on his media projects. In March 2022, he told a reporter he was spending over $1 million a month on the Frank website.
Charity Work
Lindell started the Lindell Foundation, a non-profit group. At first, it helped people seeking treatment for addiction. Later, the foundation began helping cancer patients and military veterans as well.
In 2019, he launched the Lindell Recovery Network. This network connects people who are struggling with others who have recovered. It also connects them with faith-based treatment centers.
Political Life
Support for Donald Trump
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Lindell met Donald Trump in 2016 and became one of his biggest supporters. He has called Trump "the most amazing president this country has ever seen."
Lindell has spoken at Trump's campaign rallies and attended his inauguration in 2017. In 2019, he spoke at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). There, he said that Trump was "chosen by God."
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Lindell appeared with Trump at a White House press conference. He announced that his factories would start making face masks. He also encouraged Americans to read the Bible and spend time with family.
Lindell considered running for governor of Minnesota in 2022 but decided not to. In November 2022, he ran for Chair of the Republican National Committee but lost, receiving 4 out of 167 votes.
2020 Election Claims
After Donald Trump lost the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Lindell became a key figure in supporting Trump's efforts to challenge the results. He promoted the idea that voting machine companies like Dominion and Smartmatic had changed votes. These claims have been proven false.
In February 2021, Lindell appeared on the Newsmax TV channel. He began talking about his false claims about voting machines. The anchor tried to stop him and then walked off the set during the interview.
Because of his claims, Twitter banned Lindell's account in January 2021. The company said he violated its rules against spreading false information.
Lawsuits and Legal Issues
Dominion Voting Systems sued Lindell and his company for $1.3 billion in February 2021. The lawsuit said Lindell's false claims damaged Dominion's reputation. A judge ruled that the lawsuit could move forward. Smartmatic also sued Lindell.
Lindell sued Dominion and Smartmatic in return, but a federal court dismissed his lawsuits in May 2022.
In August 2021, Lindell held a "Cyber Symposium." He promised to show "irrefutable evidence" of election fraud but did not provide any. A cybersecurity expert who attended said Lindell's evidence was a "pile of nothing."
Related to the symposium, Lindell offered $5 million to anyone who could prove his data about the election was not real. A software developer named Robert Zeidman took the challenge and found the data was not valid. An arbitration panel ordered Lindell to pay Zeidman the $5 million. A federal court confirmed this decision in February 2024. However, in July 2025, a higher court ruled that Lindell did not have to pay.
In September 2022, the FBI took Lindell's phone as part of an investigation related to an official in Colorado.
Personal Life
Lindell has been married and divorced. He has four children from his first marriage. His second marriage in 2013 ended a month later. In 2024, Donald Trump announced that Lindell had married for a third time.
Lindell is an evangelical Christian. In 2019, he received an honorary doctorate degree from Liberty University. The school's business dean called him "one of the greatest Christian businessmen on the planet."
That same year, Lindell published a book about his life. In it, he discusses overcoming personal challenges and how his faith helped him start his successful pillow business.
Images for kids
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Lindell (standing) at his Cyber Symposium
See also
In Spanish: Mike Lindell para niños
