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Herbalife International is an American multinational multi-level marketing corporation that develops, markets and sells nutrition supplements, weight management, sports nutrition and personal-care products. The company was founded by entrepreneur Mark Hughes in 1980, and it employs around 7,400 people worldwide. Herbalife reported net sales of US$3.825 billion in 2014, a 21% decrease over 2013, and net income of $477.19 million, a 16% increase over 2011.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://ir.herbalife.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=741539 )〕 It incorporated in the Cayman Islands,〔 and its corporate headquarters are there.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Herbalife Worldwide Address List )〕 The company operates internationally and distributes its products in 95 countries (as of July 2015) through a network of approximately 3.2 million independent distributors,〔 some of whom earn profit on product sales and additional commission from a multi-level marketing (MLM) compensation structure. The MLM compensation structure consists of commissions, royalties and bonuses on sales done by a distributor's ''downline'' (the people they have sponsored as new recruits). Out of about 526,000 total members in the US at the beginning of 2014, about 62,000 received bonuses of some kind from Herbalife: 7,385 (1.4%) received over $5,000 in bonuses per year (this translates to an average of $417 per month) and 1,304 (0.25%) received over $50,000 ($4,167 per month average). These figures do not include income from product sales nor do they include any costs incurred by distributors. The company has been criticized by, among others, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital, who claimed that Herbalife operates a "sophisticated pyramid scheme"〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://factsaboutherbalife.com )〕〔Neate, Rupert. 21 December 2012. (Herbalife CEO accused of running 'Ponzi scheme' ). ''The Guardian''. Retrieved: 22 December 2012.〕 after taking a $1-billion short position in Herbalife stock. The company denies the allegations. However, in March 2014, Herbalife came under investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. == History == In February 1980, Mark Hughes began selling the original Herbalife weight management product from the trunk of his car. Hughes often stated that the genesis of his product and program stemmed from the weight loss concerns of his mother Joanne, whose premature death he attributed to an eating disorder and an unhealthy approach to weight loss (though, according to an article from Los Angeles Times, this depiction of the story is not accurate ). His stated goal was to change the nutritional habits of the world. His first product was a protein shake designed to help people manage their weight. He structured his company using a direct-selling, multi-level marketing model. In 1985, the California Attorney General sued the company for making inflated claims about the efficacy of its products. The company settled the suit for $850,000 without admitting wrongdoing. In 1986, Herbalife became a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ, and in 1996 Herbalife reached US$1 billion in annual sales. Mark Hughes died at age 44 on May 20, 2000.〔Copage EV. Mark R. Hughes, 44; Founded Nutrition Supplement Concern ''New York Times'', May 23, 2000. Section B, Page 11, Column 5.〕 The Los Angeles County Coroner autopsy results ruled that the entrepreneur had died of an accidental overdose of alcohol and doxepin, an anti-depressant.〔 〕 The company continued to grow after his death and in 2002 was acquired for US$685 million by J.H. Whitney & Company and Golden Gate Capital, which took the company private again. In April 2003, Michael O. Johnson joined Herbalife as CEO following a 17-year career with The Walt Disney Company, most recently as president of Walt Disney International.〔 On December 16, 2004, the company had an initial public offering on the NYSE of 14,500,000 common shares at $14 per share. 2004 net sales were reported as $1.3 billion. On April 9, 2013, the company's long-time auditor, KPMG, resigned after the KPMG executive who oversaw Herbalife audits admitted to providing insider information to a golfing friend about at least five companies, including Herbalife and Skechers. The company hired PricewaterhouseCoopers as its auditor on May 21, 2013. On May 7, 2014, the company announced that it entered into a deal with Bank of America Merrill Lynch to repurchase $266 million of its stock. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Herbalife」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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