Update (11/3/23): This piece has been updated with additional reporting.
MyPillow CEO, election denier, and conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell has been funding at least dozens of online shows and figures that support the QAnon conspiracy theory and other far-right extremism by giving them discount codes for products on his site. Media Matters found at least 35 QAnon-supporting or other far-right extremist entities that have MyPillow discount codes.
Lindell, a pillow salesman and one of Fox News’ biggest advertisers, has been a prominent booster of false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Following the 2020 election, Lindell hosted forums pushing election fraud claims and was photographed entering the West Wing in the final days of Donald Trump’s presidency with notes that seemed to advocate for martial law. Lindell was also sued by Dominion Voting Systems, a key target of conspiracy theorists claiming fraud in the 2020 election, and Justice Department investigators later subpoenaed and seized his phone in connection to the breach of a Colorado county’s voting system. In January, Lindell unsuccessfully ran for chair of the Republican National Committee.
In addition to pushing election fraud claims, Lindell has been tied to supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory, associating with these figures and pushing claims that have been largely amplified by them. Lindell has also provided MyPillow discount codes using terms associated with the conspiracy theory (“QAnon,” “Q,” and “storm”).
A Media Matters investigation has uncovered a financial relationship between Lindell and the QAnon community: The MyPillow CEO has been giving numerous QAnon-supporting shows and figures MyPillow discount codes for their followers to use. Lindell has also provided discount codes for other far-right and conspiratorial figures. The company’s vice president for sales and marketing confirmed to The New York Times that the company gives entities with discount codes “a share — 25 percent or more — of all sales linked to that code,” meaning the codes are helping to fund those entities.
Media Matters' review found at least 18 QAnon-supporting shows and figures that have had MyPillow codes:
- Liz Crokin, a QAnon and Pizzagate conspiracy theorist. In an interview appearance on Crokin’s show, Lindell urged viewers to use her MyPillow code.