The name Kevin Trudeau means different thing to different people. To some, he is a best selling author and to others he is a pocket billiards promoter. Some view him as a champion of alternative medicines while still others see him as a convicted felon. There is no question that Kevin Trudeau’s life has been filled with controversy. But it has also been filled with numerous careers and events that have shaped a fascinating individual. (Note: I have not confirmed the information below to be accurate. I am simply summarizing the history that I have found in other locations on the internet.)
Kevin Trudeau was born on February 6th, 1963 and grew up in Lynn, MA as the adopted son of Robert and Mary Trudeau. He graduate from St. Mary’s High School in 1981 where he was voted the “Most Likely To Succeed”.
In 1990, Trudeau plead guilty to larceny charges after posing as a doctor in order to deposit over $80,000 in false checks. He also used credit card information stolen from several of his Mega Memory customers to make fraudulent charges of over $122,000. After serving two years in jail for these activities, Trudeau joined Nutrition for Life, a multi-level marketing firm, with a friend from prison. He was very successful in this new endeavor but was soon sued by the Illinois State Attorney General for operating an illegal pyramid scheme. He settled with Illinois, Michigan and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a total of $185,000. In August 2007, he also paid $2.6 million to settle a legal suit from Nutrition for Life’s shareholders.
In 1998, Kevin Trudeau was fined $500,000 by the FTC relating to six infomercials in which they alleged that he made false or misleading claims. These infomercials included “Hair Farming”, “Mega Memory System,” “Addiction Breaking System,” “Action Reading,” “Eden’s Secret,” and “Mega Reading.” One of his most popular products, the “Mega Memory System”, claimed to have improved upon methods used by the blind and the mentally challenged to develop Advanced Mega Memory and Mega Memory audio tapes.
An additional project that Trudeau pursued was to found the International Pool Tour (IPT). His large investments in pool attempted to help establish billiards as a legitimate sport.
In my next posting, I will continue examining Kevin Trudeau’s business projects and well as his many legal troubles.
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