MyPillow, the company founded by CEO Mike Lindell, is facing eviction from one of its two Shakopee warehouses due to unpaid rent. Lindell claims that the warehouse has been sitting empty since last fall and is not essential to the company’s operations, as its main manufacturing warehouse, located about a mile away, is where all of the company’s products are made, including the famous foam-filled pillow, bath towels, slippers, coffee, and mattress covers.
The eviction stems from MyPillow’s failure to pay over $200,000 in rent to its second warehouse landlord. Despite receiving multiple default notices over the past six months, the company has not fulfilled its financial obligations, leading the judge to approve the landlord’s request to vacate the building.
According to Lindell, the vacant warehouse was previously used for retail equipment, much of which was auctioned off last year. He explained that due to being dropped by multiple retailers in recent years, the building has not been in use and is approximately one-third the size of their main warehouse. Although the building was subleased last year, a new tenant, intending to store sugar beets, backed out at the last minute, leaving MyPillow in a challenging situation.
While the eviction may not directly impact the company’s core manufacturing operations, MyPillow is facing significant challenges on other fronts. Following Lindell’s controversial White House appearance after the January 6 insurrection, major retailers such as Walmart, Kohl’s, J.C. Penney, Wayfair, and Bed Bath & Beyond ceased carrying MyPillow products. The company is also embroiled in legal battles with Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, who are suing Lindell for defamation and seeking billions in damages for his false claims about the 2020 election.
Lindell’s efforts to challenge the election results have resulted in substantial financial losses for the employee-owned company, with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. Additionally, the company’s credit line was reportedly reduced from $1 million to $100,000 by American Express, forcing Lindell to rely on debit cards for financial transactions. With ongoing legal challenges and financial setbacks, MyPillow and its 1,300 employees face an uncertain future, as the company grapples with the ramifications of its CEO’s controversial actions and statements.
