Jeff Olson launched Nerium International in Texas in 2011, marketing anti-aging creams allegedly derived from oleander. His entry into this venture followed a career marked by several multi-level marketing companies that faced regulatory scrutiny or collapsed, leaving distributors with unsold products.
Olson's history in MLM began in the late 1980s with National Safety Associates, known as NSA. This company earned revenue by requiring distributors to purchase products they often could not sell. In Florida, NSA persuaded 32,000 distributors to each buy an average of $7,000 in water filters. Most of these filters remained in garages, unsold. The Florida Attorney General's office confronted NSA in 1993 over these deceptive practices. NSA continued operations, though it eventually stopped selling water filters.
He then moved to Quorum, where he reportedly built a "gigantic organization." Quorum encountered the same issues as NSA. Distributors acquired $450 house alarms in bulk. These alarms collected dust while cheaper versions were available in discount stores. MLM Watchdog's Rod Cook documented the situation, noting that top earners made $1 million to $2 million. Regular distributors, however, faced piles of unsellable inventory. Quorum filed for bankruptcy in 1996.
Marketing Merge later identified Olson as the "#1 money earner" at Quorum. It also claimed he built "one of the largest organizations in the history of" NSA. Quorum had appointed him CEO before its collapse. Olson subsequently launched The People's Network. That company merged with Prepaid Legal Services.
Olson served as a trainer and consultant for Prepaid Legal Services until about 2011. This departure coincided with MidOcean Partners' acquisition of the company, which then rebranded as Legal Shield. Several top affiliates also left at the same time. Olson has not publicly explained his exit.
In 2011, Olson partnered with Nerium Biotechnology to establish Nerium International. The company promoted anti-aging creams based on oleander, using the same multi-level marketing structure that marked his previous ventures.
A consistent pattern emerges from Olson's career. He moves from one MLM to another, accumulating personal wealth. Meanwhile, everyday distributors are left with unsold inventory. He appears to operate within regulatory gaps, initiating new schemes before authorities can fully respond to previous ones. NSA survived its legal challenges. Quorum did not. Prepaid Legal was sold off. Each time, Olson extracted his benefit and moved on.
Nerium International represents the latest business in this sequence. The company uses the same structure and makes similar promises. Its outcome for ordinary participants remains to be seen.