Promotions Lessons From The My Pillow Guy

Mike Lindell – the "My Pillow Guy" – makes pillows that are soft to touch and claims that are hard to prove. In 2021, Lindell announced that he had compiled evidence demonstrating that China had interfered in the 2020 presidential election. He was so confident in the evidence that he launched the Prove Mike Wrong Challenge, a contest with one goal: "Find proof that this cyber data is not valid data from the November Election. For the people who find the evidence, 5 million is their reward."

Robert Zeidman, a software developer, travelled to Sioux Falls to participate in the contest, signed the contest Rules, and submitted a 15-page report that he believed met the "one goal" of the contest. The judges disagreed and denied Zeidman the $5 million. Because the Rules required disputes to be arbitrated, Zeidman then initiated an arbitration proceeding. The arbitration panel's decision holds valuable lessons for anyone who drafts promotions rules (or other contracts).