The Trump Network
A defunct United States multi-level marketing company that sold vitamins, nutritional products, and personal-care items under a licensing arrangement for the Trump name.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Trump Network was a United States multi-level marketing company selling vitamins, nutritional products, energy products, diet programs, and skin-care goods. It began in March 1997 as Ideal Health, a direct-sales business founded in Massachusetts by Lou DeCaprio and brothers Scott and Todd Stanwood. The founders had previously worked in direct selling and had observed the growth of Nu Skin Enterprises, which influenced their decision to establish a similar business. Ideal Health used a distributor-based model. Salespeople promoted products directly to consumers, received commissions on sales, and could earn additional income by recruiting other sales representatives. One of the company's distinctive offerings was a customized vitamin program associated with a urine test called PrivaTest. Customers were told that the test could help determine which vitamins they required. Products were shipped directly to customers rather than being held as inventory by individual salespeople. The business attracted regulatory and consumer criticism before it adopted the Trump name. By 2004, the Federal Trade Commission had received numerous complaints from salespeople who said they had spent substantial amounts on company products without generating income. The company's Supreme Greens product also became the subject of an FTC lawsuit over an alleged claim that it could cure cancer. Ideal Health acquired the BIO Essentials skin-care line in 2004, expanding beyond nutritional products. Donald Trump became involved after beginning discussions with the company in 2008. In March 2009, he agreed to license his name to Ideal Health and to make occasional promotional appearances. The company was rebranded as The Trump Network and formally launched under that name on November 13, 2009, at an event in Miami attended by Trump. Trump did not acquire the company or manufacture its products. His role centered on licensing his surname and delivering motivational appearances, while the existing owners continued to manage the business. The rebranded company marketed participation as a potential source of supplemental income, a message that resonated during the economic difficulties surrounding the Great Recession. Prospective distributors could buy a basic marketing package for $48, including a marketing kit and temporary access to a personalized website. A more expensive package, priced at $497, included additional promotional materials and sales aids. The company also said that distributors could return unsold inventory. Product packaging used Trump's family crest, while the underlying product range remained largely similar to that of Ideal Health. The Trump association increased recruitment. The company reported that its sales force grew from approximately 5,000 people before Trump's involvement to about 20,000 worldwide by December 2010, while its staff expanded to roughly 50 employees. The company also stated that revenue was nearly $40 million at that time, although this figure is not independently detailed here. By early 2011, management discussed adding products and expanding into Europe and Asia, and Trump expressed an ambition for the business to become larger than Amway. The licensing relationship ended in late 2011. In early 2012, Bioceutica purchased the remaining assets for an undisclosed amount, ending The Trump Network as a distinct branded business. Some former salespeople later expressed disappointment that Trump's operational role had been limited. Representatives for Trump maintained that the licensing arrangement and his limited role had been disclosed in agreements, marketing materials, and product labeling. The company is therefore best understood as a short-lived licensed-name extension of an existing multi-level marketing operation rather than a Trump-owned health-products manufacturer.
History
The Trump Network originated as Ideal Health, Inc., a Massachusetts multi-level marketing company established in March 1997 by Lou DeCaprio and brothers Scott and Todd Stanwood. The founders had previously worked in the direct-sales sector and had seen the commercial potential of distributor networks. Ideal Health sold a customized vitamin program and recruited independent salespeople who earned commissions from product sales and recruitment. Customers generally received products through direct shipment rather than through distributor-held inventory. A key feature of the early business was its individualized supplement proposition. Ideal Health used a urinalysis called PrivaTest to recommend a vitamin regimen. The company also marketed products such as Supreme Greens and later expanded into skin care through its 2004 acquisition of BIO Essentials. The business encountered criticism before its rebranding. By 2004, the Federal Trade Commission had received complaints from salespeople who claimed that they had incurred significant expenses without earning income. The FTC also brought litigation concerning a Supreme Greens claim that the product could cure cancer. These matters became part of the company's later public context. Donald Trump began exploring an association with a network-marketing company in 2008. His attorney Jerry Schrager encountered DeCaprio during a business presentation, after which Trump met the Ideal Health principals at Trump Tower. In March 2009, Trump agreed to license his name to the company and to make occasional appearances. Ideal Health consequently became The Trump Network. DeCaprio remained president, Todd Stanwood became chief executive officer, and Scott Stanwood served as vice president of communications. Trump did not take ownership of the company or develop its products, although his name and public appearances were used to strengthen the brand. The Trump Network launched on November 13, 2009, at a Miami hotel event. Its marketing presented participation as a possible second-income opportunity during the economic strain of the Great Recession. Distributor entry packages included a basic marketing kit and temporary access to a personalized website, while a higher-priced package added promotional materials and sales guidance. The company said that unsold inventory could be returned. Product packaging displayed Trump's family crest, but much of the product portfolio was inherited from Ideal Health. The association with Trump was followed by reported expansion. By December 2010, the company stated that its distributor network had grown to approximately 20,000 worldwide, compared with about 5,000 before Trump's involvement, and that its internal staff had doubled to around 50. It also reported revenue approaching $40 million. The company planned additional products and international expansion, while Trump publicly expressed an aspiration for it to exceed Amway in scale. The business offered Prime Essentials and Custom Essentials multivitamins, the PrivaTest-based Custom Essentials program, Snazzle Snaxxs children's snacks, QuikStik energy products, Silhouette Solutions, and BioCé Cosmeceuticals skin-care products. The business remained controversial because of questions surrounding distributor earnings, health claims, and the scientific basis of its testing program. Nutrition experts cited in coverage challenged the notion that urine testing could identify vitamin deficiencies and questioned whether the supplements offered the claimed benefits. Company representatives responded that the income opportunity and Trump's limited role were disclosed. The licensing agreement ended at the close of 2011, and Bioceutica acquired the remaining assets in early 2012 for an undisclosed amount. This transaction brought the distinct Trump Network brand to an end, although some products associated with the former business, including PrivaTest, were later available through Bioceutica.
- 2012
Bioceutica acquires remaining assets
[1]Bioceutica purchases the former company's remaining assets, ending The Trump Network as a standalone brand.
- 2011
Licensing relationship ends
[1]The agreement allowing the company to use Trump's name expires near the end of the year.
- 2010
Reported distributor expansion
[1]The company reports approximately 20,000 salespeople worldwide and nearly $40 million in revenue.
- 2009
Trump licensing agreement and rebrand
[1]Donald Trump licenses his name to Ideal Health, which adopts The Trump Network identity.
- 2009
Public launch of The Trump Network
[1]The rebranded company launches at a Miami event attended by Trump on November 13.
- 2004
Expansion into skin care
[1]Ideal Health acquires the BIO Essentials skin-care line, broadening its product range beyond supplements.
- 1997
Ideal Health is founded
[1]Lou DeCaprio and brothers Scott and Todd Stanwood establish Ideal Health as a Massachusetts multi-level marketing company selling nutritional products.
Products and positioning
The company positioned itself as a direct-selling health and wellness business offering nutritional products and an opportunity for distributors to earn supplemental income. After 2009, the Trump name, family-crest packaging, motivational appearances, and recession-era income messaging became central elements of its market identity.
Multivitamin
Prime Essentials
A general multivitamin marketed by The Trump Network as one of its core nutritional products. It was positioned as the more standard supplement option in contrast with Custom Essentials, which was associated with the company's individualized PrivaTest program.
Personalized multivitamin program
Custom Essentials
A higher-priced vitamin offering linked to PrivaTest, a urinalysis that the company said could be used to tailor vitamin recommendations. The program was a major expression of the brand's personalized-health positioning, although outside experts questioned whether urine testing could establish vitamin deficiencies.
Children's nutritional snacks
Snazzle Snaxxs
A line of children's health-oriented snacks offered within the company's broader nutritional-products portfolio. Public descriptions identify it as one of the products available during the Trump Network period, but detailed formulation information is not established in the supplied sources.
Energy drink
QuikStik
An energy-product line sold by The Trump Network. It extended the company's offering from vitamins and supplements into convenient beverage-format products.
Diet program
Silhouette Solutions
A diet and weight-management program included among the company's consumer health offerings. The available reference material identifies the program but does not provide enough detail to describe its regimen or clinical basis.
Skin care
BioCé Cosmeceuticals
A skin-care line added after Trump's involvement, building on Ideal Health's earlier BIO Essentials business. It represented the brand's expansion into personal care alongside its nutritional products.
Controversies
2011
Disputes over distributor earnings and Trump's role
Some distributors alleged that the business did not provide the expected income and some were dissatisfied that Trump's involvement was primarily name licensing and motivational appearances rather than operational ownership.
2010
Criticism of PrivaTest and supplement claims
Nutrition experts questioned the scientific basis of using urine analysis to determine vitamin deficiencies and challenged the evidentiary basis for the products' purported benefits.
2004
FTC complaints and Supreme Greens health claim
Ideal Health faced complaints from salespeople who said they spent heavily without earning income. The FTC also sued over a Supreme Greens claim that the product could cure cancer.
Marketing campaigns
- 2009The Trump Network launch event
United States
The company introduced its new identity at a Miami launch ceremony attended by Donald Trump, using his public profile to support recruitment and brand recognition.
Outcome. The company reported significant growth in distributors and staff after Trump's association began.
- 2009Recession-era second-income positioning
United States
The business promoted distributorship as a possible supplemental-income opportunity for people affected by the economic downturn, offering low-cost and premium marketing packages.
Outcome. The message helped the company recruit distributors, although questions about distributor profitability continued.
Brand decisions
2012
Sell remaining assets to BioceuticaM&ABackground
The Trump name license had expired at the end of 2011, leaving the company without its principal licensed identity.
Action taken
Bioceutica acquired the company's remaining assets for an undisclosed amount.
Aftermath
The Trump Network ceased operating as a distinct brand, although certain associated products remained available through Bioceutica.
2010
Plan international expansion and broader product developmentStrategyBackground
The company sought to build on reported domestic growth after the rebranding.
Action taken
Management announced plans for additional products and expansion into Europe and Asia, while Trump discussed an ambition to exceed Amway in scale.
Aftermath
The expansion plans did not produce a lasting international brand; the licensing agreement ended in 2011 and the assets were sold in 2012.
2009
License the Trump name and rebrand Ideal HealthStrategyBackground
Ideal Health sought greater recognition, while Donald Trump was looking for a network-marketing company with which to associate.
Action taken
The company adopted The Trump Network identity and used Trump's name, appearances, and family-crest imagery in its marketing.
Aftermath
The company reported strong growth in distributors and staff, but the arrangement also increased scrutiny of its business model and disclosure of Trump's role.
Recent events
- 2012
Licensing agreement expires and assets are sold[1]
M&A · Other
The Trump licensing agreement ended in late 2011, and Bioceutica acquired the company's remaining assets in early 2012.
- 2010
Reported growth follows Trump's involvement[1]
Other
The company reported substantial growth in its distributor base and staff after the Trump name was introduced, and stated that revenue was nearly $40 million.
- 2009
Ideal Health adopts The Trump Network name[1]
Other
Donald Trump entered into a licensing arrangement with Ideal Health, leading to the company's rebranding as The Trump Network.
- 2009
The Trump Network launches in Miami[1]
Campaign · Other
The rebranded company held its launch event at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Miami, with Trump in attendance.
Sources1 sources
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