Staged Media INC, registered in British Columbia, Canada on March 6, 2000, is listed as the owner of the domain staged.com. Haydn Stevenson identifies himself as CEO and co-owner on Twitter, yet this information is conspicuously absent from the company's website.
Stevenson's history within the multi-level marketing (MLM) industry spans corporate and affiliate roles. A September 2012 marketing pitch by an individual named Suzanna offers a glimpse into Stevenson’s prior MLM endeavors. Suzanna was seeking a replacement for Zeek, a penny auction platform that faced regulatory scrutiny for its operational model. She referenced Bidify as an attempt to improve on Zeek's structure, noting its similar "investment" appearance that attracted regulator attention.
Suzanna then introduced Funky Shark, a venture attributed to Kevin deBellefeuille, Haydn Stevenson, and Scott Walker, all described as having extensive internet marketing experience. Stevenson, in particular, was noted as residing in Japan and being actively involved with Lyoness, a network marketing company. Funky Shark entered prelaunch in September 2012, operating with a founder program that charged $1,000 and offered $500 for each recruited founder.
Despite Suzanna’s optimistic portrayal, Funky Shark voluntarily ceased operations just one month later in October 2012, issuing refunds to founder investors. The company cited potential violations of U.S. securities laws related to its founder program execution. Two months after its shutdown, in December 2012, Funky Shark was fined $40,000 by the Montana Securities Commissioner for illegally selling investment opportunities.
The pitch also mentioned Lyoness, which engaged affiliates by promising fixed advertised returns on investment (ROIs). These promised ROIs were contingent on the company securing sufficient new investments.
The Montana Securities Commissioner's action against Funky Shark highlights the risks associated with unregistered investment opportunities and pyramid-like recruitment structures. Investors in such schemes often face significant financial losses when the operations collapse.