Troy Mason, a Texas resident, settled civil fraud charges with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for $943,570 on October 12, 2022. The settlement concluded a case accusing Mason and his company, ZTegrity Inc., of operating a fraudulent forex trading pool and failing to register as required by federal law. The CFTC had filed its civil complaint in the Southern District of Texas in June 2021.

This legal action did not stop Mason's activities. Just months before the settlement, Mason launched a new scheme called 25X Club. This followed the rapid collapse of his previous venture, Our Gas Club, a $79.95 monthly pyramid scheme that had only launched in March 2022. Mason shut down Our Gas Club and spun up 25X Club by April 29, 2022, redirecting the old domain to the new site. He abandoned Our Gas Club after roughly six weeks of operation.

The 25X Club operates without any genuine retailable products or services. Instead, its affiliates market membership in the club itself. Membership benefits are vaguely defined: access to a "discount club," an "online emergency medical file" service, a "problem solving consulting service," a clock, postcards, and "gas stickers." These offerings provide little to no independent market value, serving primarily as a pretext for the recruitment structure.

Membership in 25X Club comes in three tiers, each with associated fees. The Silver tier costs $19.95 annually. Gold membership is $19.95 each month. Platinum, the highest tier, requires a $99.95 monthly payment. The scheme's compensation plan is based on a unilevel structure, where commissions are paid when existing members recruit new ones who then pay these fees.

Silver affiliates earn a flat $4 for each Silver or Gold recruit they bring in, and $8 for each Platinum recruit. However, Silver members do not earn commissions from recruits further down their network. Gold affiliates also earn $4 for Silver or Gold recruits and $8 for Platinum recruits. They additionally collect monthly residual payments: $4 for Gold recruits and $8 for Platinum recruits. Gold members can also receive $4 passed up from Silver and Gold recruits in their downline, provided no other Gold or higher-tier affiliate sits between them and the new recruit.

Platinum affiliates receive $4 per Silver or Gold recruit and $10 for each Platinum recruit. They collect $4 and $8 in monthly residuals from Gold and Platinum recruits, respectively. Platinum members also get $4 and $15 passed up from Silver and Gold recruits in their downline, assuming no blocking higher-tier affiliate. The structure ensures that those who spend more on their membership hold the potential for greater income.

Mason has attempted to distance 25X Club from terms like "MLM" or "network marketing," describing it as a "2 tier affiliate program." This terminology does not change the operational reality. 25X Club pays commissions over multiple levels, tracked through a unilevel team. It functions as a multi-level marketing scheme.

A key characteristic of 25X Club is that 100% of its commissions derive directly from the recruitment of new participants. This payment model defines it as a pyramid scheme. Such schemes are inherently unsustainable. When the influx of new recruits slows, the flow of commission payments inevitably dries up. Downlines stop paying their monthly fees, leading to a cessation of payments to those above them. This triggers an irreversible collapse, ensuring that the vast majority of participants lose their money.

The CFTC's 2021 complaint against Mason and ZTegrity Inc. detailed his earlier activities. From at least October 2019, Mason used websites and social media to promote a forex trading pool he marketed as a savings account. He branded this as "The Black Club" and "The Forex Savings Club." Mason falsely guaranteed repayment of contributions and promised "with 100% certainty" substantial profits from trading pooled funds. His website claimed to have collected over $460,000 from 411 participants in this forex scheme. The CFTC alleged fraudulent solicitation and a failure to register with the agency, a requirement under the Commodity Exchange Act.

The speed with which Mason moved from a forex scheme to Our Gas Club, and then to 25X Club, raises questions about the underlying motivations. The CFTC had secured an injunction and frozen Mason's assets in connection with the ZTegrity case. It is probable that Our Gas Club, 25X Club, and any subsequent ventures served as a means for Mason to generate funds, potentially for his legal defense. The October 12, 2022, settlement required Mason to pay $943,570 to resolve the forex fraud charges.