Sann Rodrigues, once TelexFree's most prolific recruiter, now claims he is a victim of the collapsed Ponzi scheme. Rodrigues told Brazilian media outlet iG that he was merely an affiliate, despite being directly responsible for drawing thousands of investors into the operation. His new position follows significant financial losses for many of his downline members after the scheme's inevitable collapse, prompting blowback against top promoters.
"I am a victim of Telexfree today," Rodrigues stated to iG. He added that if the company is accused of being a pyramid scheme, then all participants, including himself, are victims. He insisted, "I am an affiliate like any other. I joined as a promoter of Telexfree and understand that it was a good opportunity. I have no stake in, nor do I perform any other type of function in Telexfree other than as a recruiter of thousands of people." This assertion attempts to distance him from the scheme's leadership.
This new stance directly contradicts his prominent and celebrated role within TelexFree's structure. The company itself recognized Rodrigues as the "top promoter in the world" for 2013 during an awards ceremony held in Madrid. TelexFree frequently featured him as a symbol of success at its promotional events, actively using his recruitment prowess and personal story to attract new participants into the scheme.
TelexFree's 2013 profit and loss statement showed the company paid out $622 million in affiliate commissions that year. Rodrigues did not disclose his personal earnings from the scheme when iG reporters pressed him for details, beyond his victim claim. He also stated he "did not have that information" when asked about the precise size of his personal downline, which he had previously boasted numbered in the thousands.
His public statements were notably different in March 2013, during a period of active recruitment for new investors. At a TelexFree event hosted by the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Newport, Atlanta, Rodrigues described his early success to an assembled crowd of prospective participants. He explained he started in February 2012, bought one "family plan," and claimed to make $800 a week simply by posting five ads daily.
Rodrigues then touted TelexFree's passive income model, specifically stating, "I don’t invite anybody to TelexFree, because every company I’m failing in in MLM, the compensation requires you to invite somebody to make money or I need (to) sell something or make sales to make money." TelexFree's "AdCentral Family" package, which he referenced, required affiliates to invest $1375