Founded in 1980 by Mr. Mark Hughes, Herbalife can be a multilevel marketing organization (MLM) that delivers items for nutrition, weight-management and personal-care. A 2008 corporate annual report claims 1.9 million distributors in 72 countries, with annual sales of three.8 billion dollars. Of the 1.9 million distributors, the report estimates that 505,000 had been “sales leaders.” This really is their term for distributors who 1) actively industry the goods and 2) recruit other salespeople into their “down-lines,” or sales teams. Sales leaders are paid a commission on 1) personal sales of merchandise and on two) sales made by other people who have been directly or indirectly “recruited” into their down-line teams.