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The CEO of MyPillow, Mike Lindell tried to retrofit his factories to make masks at the start of the pandemic. However, he now sits on two million masks that he would like to "just burn."
Lindell's tale begins in March of 2020, before most were starting to take the pandemic seriously. He planned a combination business/charity venture to make face masks for the pandemic.
More than a year later, with only five percent of the stock sold, Lindell wants nothing more to do with face masks.
Something good has come out of the Covid-19 pandemichttps://twitter.com/mediaite/status/1406972793921675276\u00a0\u2026— Don Ellam \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 (@Don Ellam \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6) 1624284101
Did the #MyPillow guy go to Trump University?!\n\nIt sure sounds like he took the Trump \n"how to bankrupt a business" course.https://twitter.com/joncoopertweets/status/1406604819754803202\u00a0\u2026— Chris Garza (@Chris Garza) 1624206167
Those things make great pillow stuffing.— Al G Rhythm (@Al G Rhythm) 1624283898
Oh that Karma is a beautiful thing\u2026.— Laura T (@Laura T) 1624195743
Oops. Oh well, I hear the WWE wants him backpic.twitter.com/kB2hhu7uTv— Rick D Courier (@Rick D Courier) 1624201119
Lindell was quoted by The Daily Beast as saying:
"I can't give them away. I tried to. No one wants the things anymore."
Lindell claims to have retrofitted 75 percent of his factories to produce cloth masks. Now the sewing machines are unused since he can't seem to sell the items.
The plan came about last March in a joint announcement with President Donald Trump. In total, he estimates the failed plan cost him $7 million.
Lindell blames the media, the mask industry and politically motivated boycotts for why he couldn't sell many masks. The eventual price competition from the foreign market settled the failure.
However it may be Lindell's friend and former President of the United States, Donald Trump's fault as well. Lindell has been tightly associated with the former president.
At the start of the pandemic, Trump and Lindell announced the move to push American manufacturing to make masks to help with the pandemic. But that quickly went out the window.
Trump's messaging on mask usage could be described as complicated at best. While efforts were made to try and get people to wear masks, Trump himself didn't push very hard. And right-wing outlets often criticized mask usage.
Since right-wing consumers wouldn't wear the masks, and left-wing consumers didn't want to support a friend of Trump, it left little market for Lindell to sell to.
You might say he did this to himself.
What do you expect when you push for no masks? Seriously of some of these people just cut their noses off to spite their face.https://twitter.com/joncoopertweets/status/1406604819754803202\u00a0\u2026— Liz's Personal Opinions (@Liz's Personal Opinions) 1624261234
If the former Pres had helped -by admitting the need for masks instead of seeking to win the election at any cost to the people, Lindell would be a fat cat today. But\u2026\u2026..\n\nThe Spectacular Failure of the MyPillow Guy\u2019s Mask Operation https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-spectacular-failure-of-mypillow-guy-mike-lindells-mask-operation?source=twitter&via=desktop\u00a0\u2026 via @thedailybeast— Pat Williamson (@Pat Williamson) 1624298107
The reality is, he killed his business by being insane and tried capitalizing on a pandemic to make money. But, since he probably thought it was a hoax from day one, he didn\u2019t make the decision in time to be profitable.— StanMorris (@StanMorris) 1624283876
Mike Lindell Complains MyPillow Still Has 2 Million Masks 'No One Wants' https://a.msn.com/0A/en-us/AALhaUq?ocid=st\u00a0\u2026 \n\nfabric face coverings Lindell's company made did not meet FDA standards and, thus, he couldn't complete his give-away plan.— GGP Bill\u263a (@GGP Bill\u263a) 1624283154
For a very good reason, you are a criminal.— Deborah Lago (@Deborah Lago) 1624284002
having a schadenfreude moment...https://twitter.com/joncoopertweets/status/1406604819754803202\u00a0\u2026— (((Alt_Spartacus))) (@(((Alt_Spartacus)))) 1624195789
In his interview with The Daily Beast, Lindell tried to claim he couldn't even give the masks to other countries because they don't work. This goes against the science surrounding masks and the pandemic.
For now, Lindell is working on plans to sell the sewing machines he bought and transforming the factories back to producing his line of pillows.