Want a way to pay off your debt, work from home, be your own boss, go on fabulous vacations and live the life of your dreams? Then Multilevel Marketing Companies may be the solution you’re looking for. Chances are, if you’ve spent any time on social media, you’ve probably been hit up by a friend or family member trying to sell you lash serum, leggings, or essential oils. MLMs are big money these days, raking in billions of dollars. But who is at the top of the heap? Read on to find out the top 15 biggest MLM companies. These are the top MLM companies in 2017 by revenue, according to industry publication MLM News Report.
Young Living
Revenue: $1 billion
Fun fact: Young Living Essential Oils now holds the Guinness Book of World Records record for the most contributions to a lipstick mural. Didn’t know that was a thing? You and me both.
Young Living
At the company’s International Grand Convention, members put on Young Living’s Savvy Minerals® lipstick and left their mark on a giant banner of the company’s logo. When it’s not busy breaking world records, YoungLiving boasts that it’s the worldwide leader in essential oils, bringing in $1 billion in annual revenue.
LuLaroe
Revenue: $1 billion
Love it or hate it, LuLaroe is big. Known for its line of leggings, LuLaroe has also come under a lot of recent heat for the amount of money new consultants have to pay just to get started. The starter kit is reported to be upwards of $5,000. Multiple compaints have been filed against LuLaroe with the Better Business Bureau, but despite that, the company reported $1B in sales 2019.
LuLaroe
The starter kit is reported to be upwards of $5,000. Multiple complaints have been filed against LuLaroe with the Better Business Bureau, but despite that, the company reported $1B in sales 2019.
USANA
Revenue: $1.01 billion
Founded in 1992, USANA makes and sells nutritional products, weight management systems, and supplements. Over its nearly 30 year history, USANA has won dozens of titles as “Best Company In Network Marketing” by MLM Insider Online.
USANA
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New consultants have to invest $29.95 on their business development system, but are not required to buy the products to sell them. This strategy brought in more than $1.01 billion in annual sales.
Ambit Energy
Revenue: $1.2 billion
Ambit Energy is a multi-level marketing company that offers electric and gas utility services. The pitch to consultants is that they can save money on their gas and electric bills by recruiting friends and family.
Ambit Energy
Started in Dallas in 2006, Ambit has more than 350,000 consultants and has a mission to “be the finest and most respected retail energy provider in America.” Ambit reportedly makes over $1.2 billion each year.
doTERRA
Revenue: $1.4 billion
doTERRA is a Utah-based Multi-Level Marketing company selling Essential Oils. The name “doTerra” comes from Latin and simply means – Gift Of The Earth. Its biggest competitor is another MLM on this list, Young Living.
doTERRA
doTERRA made $1.4 billion in sales in 2017. The price to join is $35 + a $100 autoship for your monthly products. doTERRA oils claim to solve many of your modern ailments, and for that, the company has raked in billions in annual sales.
Jeunesse
Revenue: $1.4 billion
Jeunesse is a relative newcomer in the world of MLMs. The Florida-based company started in 2009 with the goal of helping the world look and stay young with its products. It claims to have more than 500,000 worldwide distributors in more than 200 countries.
Jeunesse
Its biggest products are an anti-aging system that boasts “unmatched results” on the company’s website. The entry fee to get started with Jeunesse is only $29.95, but that’s just the beginning. Distributors can then buy at wholesale and resell to their networks at retail. This strategy brought in $1.4 billion in 2017. Not bad for a company in its first decade of business!
Rodan + Fields
Revenue: $1.5 billion
Rodan + Fields made a killing in the early 2000s selling a 3-part skincare system, ProActiv via late night infomercials. They grew up in the mid 2000s and started building an army of stay-at-home moms selling their high end skincare systems and lash serums.
Rodan + Fields
R+F makes promises of flexible careers, discretionary income, free vacations, and the ability to write your own ticket. That formula has paid off, netting $1.5 billion in sales.
Primerica
Revenue: $1.52 billion
Primerica doesn’t fit the bill as the typical CPG-based multilevel marketing company. Primerica is a direct-to-consumer insurance company.
Primerica
Primerica recruits people to sell its policies, encouraging these new insurance agents to start by selling to family members, friends and co-workers and recruiting them to join the business. In 2017, it netted $1.52 billion in sales from its DTC strategy.
Melaleuca
Revenue: $2 billion
Frank L. VanderSloot founded Melaleuca in 1985, making it one of the longest-standing MLM firms currently in operation today. Melaleuca boasts more than 400 eco-friendly products in the nutrition, cleaning, cosmetics and personal care space.
Melaleuca
To get started, you need to plunk down $30 for a starter kit + $45 per month for motivational tips and products to help build your business. This strategy has made VanderSloot very weathy; his net worth is estimated over $700 million dollars. The company made $2 billion in revenue in 2017.
Tupperware
Revenue: $2.26 billion
Tupperware is one of the OG MLMs. Chances are you’ve heard of it or the famous Tupperware Parties. Tupperware has been around since 1950.
Tupperware
Interestingly, the founder was a man who realized the power of direct selling + stay at home moms. Today, there are 3 million Tupperware sales reps. The average consultant earns about $700/year, according to Tupperware’s own internal documents.
Nu Skin
Revenue: $2.28 billion
Nu Skin focuses on skincare and anti-aging products. Nu Skin has been around since the early 1980s and now racks in more than $2.2 billion in annual sales. But it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows.
Nu Skin
In the ‘90s, Nu Skin lost a battle with the FTC over false claims it made about the efficacy of its products and was forced to fork over $1.5 million in fines
Mary Kay
Revenue: $3.25 billion
Mary Kay Ash started Mary Kay in the 1960s and a whole army of Mary Kay ladies in pink Cadillacs was born.
Mary Kay
MK started the company with just $5,000 and today, it’s bringing in more than $3.25 billion in sales from 600,000 Mary Kay ladies each year.
Herbalife
Revenue: $4.40 billion
Herbalife has the honor of being one of the best-known, and also most-hated MLM firms. With more than 2 million distributors worldwide, Herbalife pulled in over $4 billion in sales last year. But not without controversy.
Herbalife
It has been accused of being a pyramid scheme and in one of the largest settlements of its kind, the FTC settled with more than 350,000 Herbalife consultants who lost money running their businesses.
Avon
Revenue: $5.7 billion
Avon built an empire making women beautiful. It started in 1939 as a perfume company and quickly built up a network of millions of Avon ladies worldwide.
Avon
Recent stats estimate 6 million people are currently selling Avon products directly to consumers.
Amway
Revenue: $8.6 billion
Amway is by far and away the largest MLM in existence and is part of the reason that the rest of today’s multilevel marketing companies even exist today.
Amway
In 1979, the FTC went head-to-head with Amway, later deciding in a ruling that Amway was not a pyramid scheme and was in fact a legit business, since it was selling real products. This ruling paved the way for all the MLMs that came after. Today, it’s the MLM heavyweight, $9 billion in revenue.