EXCLUSIVE: The National Sleep Foundation, touted in the ads for Mike Liddell’s My Pillow, is $200,000 in the red. That’s according to their most recent filed Form 990 for non profit organizations. The foundation, which no one had ever heard of until Lindell starting using it to endorse his lumpy pillows, is conveniently located in Minnesota near Lindell. For the year ending December 31, 2016, the Sleep Foundation paid $162,011 in salaries and finished the year MINUS $199,888. The foundation is alternately known, on its website, as the World Sleep Society. In February they were soliciting names of people who wanted to become board members.
This news comes as Lindell has announced he’s laying off 150 workers from his Minnesota plant. Lindell has been a fervent supporter of Donald Trump, endorsing him at every turn and praising Trump’s economy. According to reports, Lindell quietly laid off 140 workers two years ago. He says that the layoffs are because he’s starting something called MyStore.com, which will feature products from other entrepreneurs.
But those products would require more hands on deck for fulfillment. So laying of 150 people doesn’t make sense. And if the lumpy pillow were selling as well as he advertises, Lindell would need workers. He recently added a line “Egyptian cotton” sheets to his endless advertising, but if those had taken off, Lindell would be three sheets to the wind.
“I value each and every one of my employees so this is a difficult decision, however this is what is best right now for the future of MyPillow and to prepare for the launch of MyStore.com,” said Lindell in a statement. “Once MyStore is up and running, we anticipate we will be hiring.”
