Glen Jensen, founder of Agel, a Utah-based "gelceutical" company, was removed as CEO in 2010. Jensen claims a hostile takeover by a venture capital firm, while the company's lawsuit alleged he built a competing business while still in charge.
Jensen's version of events states the venture capital firm, which took a minority stake in 2005, demanded he slow Agel's rapid growth. He reported that Agel was generating $8 million in monthly revenue by August 2007, climbing to $12.5 million in September of that year. Jensen said the firm acquired two of three board seats, reducing his ownership below 50%. He refused their demand to close 12 countries, which he claimed generated $47 million in revenue. The firm then replaced him. Jensen stated at the time that a legal battle over the decision was ongoing.
Attorney Kevin Thompson offered a different account. Agel sued Jensen on December 22, 2010. The lawsuit accused Jensen of violating his employment agreement by developing a rival company. Agel also alleged Jensen committed fraud, conspired against the company, abused his authority, and misused company funds. Jensen has not been publicly associated with Agel since 2010.
Jeff Higginson and Jeremiah Bradley became co-CEOs. Bradley joined Agel after graduating from Brigham Young University with a degree in International Studies. Higginson, previously an auto salesman, started as Agel's Executive Vice-President of Global Sales. Both have been with the company since its 2005 founding. In 2013, CVSL acquired Agel for an undisclosed sum. Agel continues to operate as a distinct entity under the CVSL umbrella.
Agel markets "suspension gels" as "gelceuticals" for health and wellness. The company claims these gels, like a blend of berries, offer immediate absorption of nutrients. They state the gel format keeps nutrients hydrated, suspended, and evenly distributed in single-serving packets.
The company sells sixteen gelceutical products. These include ABC for children's essentials, BRN for fat burning, GSH for glutathione, SEE for eye health, PRO for life-sustaining nutrients, Ω3, VLT for green energy, OHM for mental energy, FIT for weight loss, UMI for the immune system, MIN for vitamins and minerals, EXO for antioxidants, HRT for heart health, FLX for joint health, GLO for beauty, and GRN for digestive cleanse. Agel also offers REM melatonin sleep gel strips, Caspi caviar stem cell extract with 24 karat gold, and FLXRUB topical pain gel.
Agel's company website does not display retail product pricing. To purchase products online, customers need an Agel affiliate referral code. Pricing remains undisclosed until this step. This practice makes it impossible for prospective customers to compare prices or for independent evaluators to assess product value before engaging with an affiliate.
Agel's compensation plan offers retail commissions, defined as the difference between wholesale and retail costs. Without disclosed retail pricing, the actual commission amounts cannot be calculated. Residual commissions are paid through a binary team structure. A matching bonus on team sales volume operates via a unilevel structure.
Agel has eighteen affiliate ranks, from Team Member to Royal Diamond. To reach Royal Diamond, an affiliate's downline must generate 2,000,000 Group Volume (GV) monthly, maintain eight Director-ranked affiliates, and oversee eight "power legs." GV measures sales volume from an affiliate's downline. A power leg is a unilevel leg with a Senior Director or higher at the top, generating at least 40,000 GV monthly in the lesser binary leg.
New affiliates can purchase one of four "packs" to start. The recruiting affiliate receives a commission for these sales. A Bronze Pack costs $340 and pays the recruiter $40. A Silver Pack costs $575 and pays $75. A Gold Kit costs $1050 and pays $100. A Platinum Pack costs $2800 and pays $500.
Residual binary commissions are calculated monthly based on sales volume in an affiliate's weaker binary leg. Affiliates with at least 210 Personal Volume (PV) receive 7% of their weaker leg's volume. Those with at least 665 PV also receive 7%, plus an additional 3% per month after 12 months, provided they maintain a monthly 50 PV product order. All affiliates are capped at $25,000 per month in binary earnings per business center position.
Supervisors and higher ranks qualify for a matching bonus on downline binary earnings, paid through a unilevel structure up to seven levels. Percentages range from 10% on level 1 for Supervisors to 50% on level 1 and 7% on levels 2-7 for Presidential Diamond and higher.
Additional bonuses exist for higher ranks. Senior Directors and above qualify for monthly Car and Expense bonuses, from $500 for a Senior Director to $6,000 for a Royal Diamond. An Executive Rank Qualification Pool uses 1% of company-wide sales volume. Only affiliates who purchase the $2800 Executive Pack can participate, with shares distributed based on rank. The Executive Bonus pool uses 3% of global sales volume. Only Platinum Pack buyers ($2800) can participate. Shares are earned when the lesser binary leg volume increases by 1000 GV month-over-month, up to 40,000 GV. Crown Diamond affiliates receive $20,000 monthly, and Royal Diamond affiliates receive $40,000 monthly, known as the Mad Money Bonus.
Prospective affiliates pay a $35 fee to reserve a position in the binary tree. They must upgrade to one of three enrollment levels by the end of the second calendar month. These levels are Personal Level (210 PV), Executive Level (665 PV), and Professional Level (3000 PV). Agel offers four affiliate packs to meet these purchase requirements: Bronze ($340, 185 PV), Silver ($575, 350 PV), Gold ($1050, 700 PV), and Platinum ($2800, 3000 PV). The company states that higher spending directly correlates with greater income potential.
The lack of online retail pricing for Agel products presents a significant transparency issue. Without this information, consumers cannot evaluate the product lineup effectively. The compensation plan also raises concerns. Affiliates must pay $35 to reserve a binary position, then make a required product purchase. The plan explicitly links higher spending to greater income potential.
Specific bonus pools are only accessible to those who buy in at the Platinum Pack level for $2800. This means that an affiliate's earning potential is limited by their initial investment, rather than solely by sales performance. Agel also grants "income centers" to larger spenders. Personal Level affiliates, typically spending $400-$575, receive one position. Affiliates spending over $1000 receive three income centers, effectively tripling their potential earnings from downline sales volume. Agel openly states that buying in at Executive and Professional Levels "qualifies you for all ten ways to earn in the compensation plan," indicating a pay-to-play structure.
The affiliate packs themselves are commissionable, which incentivizes recruitment. Retail customers typically do not purchase these packs, suggesting these commissions are primarily for recruiting new affiliates who make large initial purchases to qualify for higher income potential.
Finally, the company's "autoship" program, defined as a monthly standing order, ensures team members "remain eligible to participate in the Agel pay plan." This means affiliates are required to purchase products to qualify for commissions, a condition often fulfilled via recurring autoship orders. The compensation plan implies that most affiliates maintain a standing order of 50 PV or higher each month to stay commission-qualified.