Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a marketing strategy used by some direct sales companies to sell products and services. MLM companies sell their products or services through person-to-person sales, and members at all levels receive some form of commission, as long as the chain keeps going. The more layers there are, the more money people can make, with the person or people at the top earning the most while those who sit toward the bottom earn fewer commission dollars. However, most people who join legitimate MLMs make little or no money, and some of them lose money. MLM companies are designed to make a profit for the owners/shareholders of the company and a few individual participants at the top levels of the MLM pyramid of participants. Although some MLM companies generate billions of dollars in annual revenue and hundreds of millions of dollars in annual profit, profits accrue to the detriment of the majority of the companys constituent workforce (the MLM participants) . According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), some MLM companies already constitute illegal pyramid schemes even by the narrower existing legislation, exploiting members of the organization. MLM companies have been a frequent subject of criticism and lawsuits, with legal claims against them including their similarity to traditional illegal pyramid schemes and price fixing of products or services.