Tag Archive for Newsletter

2 Year Anniversary Of $1 Billion Bet Against Herbalife: $97.4 Million Spent On Case

 
It’s been two years since Bill Ackman launched the billion-dollar short bet heard ’round the world.
On Dec. 20, 2012, the founder of Pershing Square Capital Management LP announced his bet against the nutritional supplement company Herbalife Ltd. in a three-hour-plus PowerPoint presentation that spanned 334 slides. He called the company a “pyramid scheme” and said it has caused “enormous harm” to “vulnerable communities around the world.”

As of Thursday’s close, Herbalife’s stock was down about 11% from where it closed on Dec. 18, 2012 (word that Mr. Ackman was betting against Herbalife leaked the day before the presentation, causing the stock to drop). That change masks two years of massive volatility in the stock, millions spent by Mr. Ackman spelling out his case and millions spent by Herbalife defending its business model.
In the meantime, some of the world’s best-known money managers have piled into the stock, taking the other side of Mr. Ackman’s bet. Feuds between Mr. Ackman and some of his nemeses have been thrown into the public spotlight and at least one feud has morphed into perhaps a friendship.
Here’s a look back at Mr. Ackman’s Herbalife bet by the numbers:
Mr. Ackman’s short position in Herbalife: $1 billion
What Mr. Ackman has spent making his case that the

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Amway’s Artistry Brand Leverages Digital Cosmetics

 
In a rapidly-changing world where new information and scientific data come to light faster than ever, beauty and skincare products continue to evolve.  
Artistry™, one of the world’s top-five largest selling premium skin care brands*, continues to leverage these changes to imagine new technologies and discover new breakthroughs. Through active collaboration and partnerships with universities, scientists and industry leaders, Amway and the Artistry™ brand remain on the forefront of global trends and are achieving transformational advancements in beauty and skincare.        
The future of forward beauty
“Research and advancements in dermatological treatment devices, DNA repair and stem cells are on the cusp of delivering breakthrough benefits to Artistry™ products,” said Dr. Paul Seehra, director of the Amway Asia Beauty Innovation Center.  “And we continue to investigate emerging areas of new science, including studying and monitoring the benefits that microorganisms have on an individual’s skin and overall health.”
Located in Seoul, South Korea, the Asia Beauty Innovation Center (ABIC) supports collaboration with the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.  The ABIC’s presence in Asia is significant because the market accounts for a significant percentage of Artistry™ sales and Seoul is currently the center of pop culture for the region.  In addition to advancing partnerships and research agreements,

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Medifast Board Of Directors Under Investigation

 
Kirby McInerney LLP is investigating potential claims against the Board of Directors of Medifast, Inc. (“Medifast” or the “Company”) (MED) concerning the improper compensation of the Company’s executives.
Medifast’s key executive compensation increased drastically from approximately $2.12 million in 2012 to approximately $12.11 million in 2013. This is an especially significant increase given the fact that key executive compensation was under $2 million for each year from 2009 to 2011. While the key executive compensation has increased dramatically, there has not been any significant increase in the Company’s stock price.
If you are a Medifast stockholder and wish to obtain additional information, please contact J. Brandon Walker, Esq. by email at bwalker@kmllp.com, or telephone at (212) 699-1145, Melissa Fortunato, Esq. by email at mfortunato@kmllp.com, or telephone at (212) 699-1141, or toll free at (888) 529-4787
Kirby McInerney LLP is a New York-based law firm concentrating in securities, whistleblower, antitrust and consumer litigation. 

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Bo Short, Industry Icon and Top-Ranked Leader, Joins Jeunesse

 
Jeunesse is honored to announce the addition of Bo Short to its global field leadership. As the company experiences continued exponential growth, Bo will use his decades of expertise in MLM to continue to stimulate significant growth around the world, while also designing a groundbreaking personal development initiative aimed at strengthening field leadership in the United States, while working closely with leading directors to further enhance Jeunesse culture.

“Very seldom in the network marketing industry does a company come along with this type of sustained growth, backed by category-creating products and a world-class compensation plan,” explains Bo. “ Jeunesse is such a company. It is a builder’s dream to mentor a team in that (type of) environment. I know the success that awaits distributors that come here and I am honored to be a part of that process.”

As a legendary figure in the network marketing industry, Bo has spent the past 25 years building successful MLM teams in 25 different countries. He most recently served as the President of Global Sales & Field Development for a large, publicly traded network-marketing company.
Ranked #31 in Business for Home’s “Top 250 Lifetime Earners,” Bo was later singled out as “1 of 52 of the Brightest Minds in

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The Freedom Fighters Network Closed Down

 
From a beach in Bali, Angela Moore and Jordan Schultz, founders of The Freedom Fighter Network, told the world about their revolutionary system that was “guaranteed” to make you money.
The opportunity was launced in July 2014, Their Freedom Fighters Facebook group had 11,000+ members and an estimated 25,000+ marketers invested in the system.
Schultz and Moore closed down their operations in an unexpected move, leaving numerous affiliates in the dust. The reason seems to be a possible bankruptcy, so the owners decided not to pay out affiliates anymore, take the money and “jump ship”.
According to their website:
“The Freedom Fighters Network is a product that has all the marketing system with all of the pieces (capture page, sales page, one time offers and followup) already put together for you including a traffic source. The marketing system funnels people thru and converts them to sales for you.
In addition to the marketing system and traffic provided for you there will also be training on how to find your own traffic sources”.

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Avon $135 Million Fine For Bribing Chinese Officials

 
Avon Products Inc. (AVP)’s Chinese subsidiary bribed local officials with Gucci bags and foreign travel in order to sell products directly to the nation’s consumers, the U.S.A. said as the company ended a six-year federal investigation with a guilty plea and $135 million in fines.
Avon is also subject to a deferred prosecution agreement requiring it to adopt “rigorous” internal controls and avoid further violations for three years before the case will be dropped. The plea, which includes an outside monitor, was announced at a hearing today in Manhattan federal court.
The world’s largest door-to-door seller of cosmetics had said in May it would settle the probe. Its Chinese unit pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate U.S. anti-bribery law by falsifying records of a four-year scheme to pay off Chinese authorities, who ended a direct sales ban in 2006.

“For years in China it was ‘Avon calling,’ as Avon bestowed millions of dollars in gifts and other things on Chinese government officials,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Bharara today. “Avon China was in the door-to-door influence-peddling business and for years its corporate parent, rather than putting an end to the practice, conspired to cover it up.”

Avon China provided gifts and entertainment to Chinese officials, “and falsified these

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Dutch Justice Closes Down Pyramid Game PlanB4You

 
Justitie legt voor miljoenen beslag op rekeningen PlanB4you uit Den Bosch om piramidespel

DEN BOSCH – Justitie heeft beslag gelegd op de bankrekeningen van PlanB4you en van de directeur. Dat bedrijf, dat voor kort een kantoor in Den Bosch had, zou zich voor 2,5 miljoen euro schuldig hebben gemaakt aan oplichting en witwassen.
De FIOD, de opsporingsdienst van de Belastingdienst, doet strafrechtelijk onderzoek naar het bedrijf. Het vermoeden bestaat dat PlanB4you zich schuldig maakt aan een piramidespel, dat ook wel ponzifraude heet. Hierbij betaalt het bedrijf deelnemers met de belegging van de inleg van nieuwe klanten. De oprichter eigent zich dan meestal een bijzonder hoog rendement toe.
‘Makkelijk geld verdienen’
Via YouTube en bijeenkomsten probeert PlanB4you nieuwe klanten te strikken. Het bedrijf houdt ze daarbij voor dat ze makkelijk geld kunnen verdienen door dagelijks tien keer op advertenties te klikken. Daarnaast zouden potentiële klanten makkelijk geld kunnen verdienen door anderen over te halen deel te nemen aan het project.
“Deze deelnemers komen dan als het ware onder de aanbrenger te hangen wat weer extra inkomen oplevert voor de aanbrenger. Naast het klikken op de banners heeft PlanB4you ook nog een webshop waar goederen tegen ‘hoge’ kortingen kunnen worden aangeschaft”, aldus justitie.
Invallen in Nederland en andere

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ViSalus Honored With Highly-Acclaimed W3 Award For Creative Excellence In Web Content

 
ViSalus’ Content Marketing department received an esteemed 2014 W3 Silver Award in Copywriting for its Vi Blog and its blog extension program, the Vi Today’s Share.
The W3 Awards honor creative excellence on the web, and recognize the professionals behind the creative and marketing teams of the award-winning sites, marketing programs, social content and mobile sites. In its ninth year, W3 is the major web competition where companies submit content to be sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Artists (AIVA), an invitation-only, membership-based organization of leading web professionals.
More than 4,000 entries worldwide were submitted — many from Fortune 500 companies and international agencies and firms. Entries were judged by the AIVA in four categories with criteria upholding a high standard of excellence.     

“We are so proud of our outstanding, hard-working and innovative team of marketing professionals,” said Blake Mallen, ViSalus Co-Founder and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer. “From sharing exclusive interviews and company news, to industry tips and inspirational stories from within the Vi Community, our marketing team uses storytelling to show how we are transforming lives across the globe.”  

Vi’s Content Marketing team is responsible for the Vi Blog, which has generated more than 1 million impressions this year.

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Avon Unit Gave Gucci Bags, N.Y. Trips As China Bribes, U.S. Says

 
Avon Products Inc. (AVP)’s Chinese subsidiary bribed local officials with Gucci bags and foreign travel in order to sell products directly to the nation’s consumers, the U.S. said as the company ended a six-year federal investigation with a guilty plea and $135 million in fines.
Avon is also subject to a deferred prosecution agreement requiring it to adopt “rigorous” internal controls and avoid further violations for three years before the case will be dropped. The plea, which includes an outside monitor, was announced at a hearing today in Manhattan federal court.
The world’s largest door-to-door seller of cosmetics had said in May it would settle the probe. Its Chinese unit pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate U.S. anti-bribery law by falsifying records of a four-year scheme to pay off Chinese authorities, who ended a direct sales ban in 2006.

“For years in China it was ‘Avon calling,’ as Avon bestowed millions of dollars in gifts and other things on Chinese government officials,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Bharara today. “Avon China was in the door-to-door influence-peddling business and for years its corporate parent, rather than putting an end to the practice, conspired to cover it up.”

Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Avon China provided gifts and entertainment to Chinese officials, “and

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Swiss Based Preiscoin Opens Italy And France

 
Swiss based Preiscoin expands into the French and Italian markets with it’s system available in these langauges starting today.
The world is changing rapidly. Business communication is measured by clicks and likes, not by number of hotel meetings any longer.
“The true global opportunity has to provide a way for an average person of our times to promote it from home with simple tools.
Preiscoin provides that with the complete sales funnels, squeeze pages, follow-up emails and international in–house marketing team ready to support the partners. I can’t wish more” – says Piotr Labuz, Preiscon’s top leader from Poland.
His team includes partners from US, Canada, Australia and several other countries while he doesn’t even speak English. Preiscoin has been designed and is run by experienced internet marketers who decided to give to it’s users all they have been using for years to create at least 6-figures income online.

Preiscoin Group AG is based out of Switzerland that offers the Preiscoin (PRS), an alternative digital currency based on the Bitcoin protocol. 
Preiscoin uses a Forced Matrix compensation structure for affiliates to build up their customer base.
The Forced Matrix Plan is a compensation structure with a set width and depth on which distributors are compensated.
Preiscoin offers 4% residual commissions on every sale down

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