Kevin Trudeau

Kevin Mark Trudeau was born on February 6, 1963, in Lynn, Massachusetts, and grew up as the adopted son of a working-class family. He was voted 'Most Likely to Succeed' by his high school class in 1981. He never attended college. In 1991, just eight years later, he pleaded guilty to 11 counts of credit card fraud and served two years in federal prison—a conviction that would prove no obstacle to his future success as a health products pitchman.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Trudeau produced and starred in a prolific stream of late-night infomercials promoting everything from memory improvement courses to coral calcium supplements he falsely claimed could cure cancer. The FTC sued him repeatedly, and in 2004 he reached a settlement that banned him from making health product claims in infomercials. He circumvented this restriction by pivoting to books, which were protected as free speech. His 2004 book, 'Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About,' became a runaway bestseller, spending 26 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list despite containing almost no specific medical advice and directing readers primarily to a paid subscription website.

The weight-loss book infomercials that led to his 2014 imprisonment were a masterpiece of deceptive advertising: they portrayed the book as describing an 'easy' at-home program, while the actual book called for near-starvation diets, hormone injections, and a battery of spa treatments. The FTC's resulting $37.6 million judgment became the basis of criminal contempt charges when Trudeau continued making infomercials in violation of court orders and hid assets to avoid paying the fine. In November 2013, he was convicted of criminal contempt, and in March 2014, a federal judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison, calling him a 'habitual liar.'

Trudeau also founded the Global Information Network (GIN), a pyramid-scheme-style 'secret society' promising members access to insider knowledge about wealth and health. GIN became the subject of separate legal proceedings. Trudeau was released from federal custody in 2022 after serving approximately eight years. The FTC's $37.6 million judgment remained unpaid as of his release, and enforcement actions continued. He remains a figure in alternative-health and conspiracy-oriented media circles.

“'Natural cures' that doctors and drug companies don't want you to know about can treat or cure virtually all diseases”

Trudeau's books promised life-changing health secrets being suppressed by medical establishments. They delivered vague lifestyle advice and promoted purchasing products through his own companies. The FTC found his claims to be deceptive advertising, and he provided no scientific evidence for his assertions. His primary purpose was not health but revenue generation.

“His weight loss program is 'easy' and requires 'no dieting' as described in his book”

The infomercials for 'The Weight Loss Cure They Don't Want You to Know About' told viewers the plan was 'easy' and could be done 'at home.' The book itself revealed a grueling protocol involving prescription hormones, colonics, and a near-starvation 500-calorie-per-day diet. The FTC found this misrepresentation to be the basis of a $37.6 million judgment against him.