Myron W. Wentz

Myron W. Wentz was born in 1940 in North Dakota and pursued a genuinely distinguished scientific education, earning a PhD in microbiology and immunology from the University of Utah in 1974. His early career included directing microbiology for several Illinois hospitals and, in 1974, founding Gull Laboratories, where he developed the first commercially available diagnostic test for the Epstein-Barr virus—a legitimately significant scientific achievement that received FDA approval in 1977. He sold Gull Laboratories in 1992 and immediately founded USANA Health Sciences.

USANA operates as a multilevel marketing company selling nutritional supplements, with independent 'associates' earning commissions on personal sales and on the sales of distributors they recruit. Wentz uses his microbiological credentials extensively in marketing, positioning himself as a scientist who developed supplements based on rigorous cellular nutrition research. The company's Nutritionals were scored highly by one industry rating guide, which USANA prominently promoted—though independent clinical validation of superiority claims has been limited to company-associated studies.

In 2007, USANA faced a serious reputational crisis when Barry Minkow of the Fraud Discovery Institute filed a 500-page report with the SEC, FBI, and IRS alleging that USANA operated an illegal pyramid scheme in which 87% of active distributors lost money, income potential was systematically exaggerated, and advisory board credentials were misrepresented. Multiple shareholder class-action lawsuits were filed. The SEC conducted an informal inquiry but announced it did not intend to recommend enforcement action, and the cases were dismissed, leaving USANA's structure formally intact though its practices drew continued criticism.

Wentz remains a figure in the broader MLM supplement industry. His case illustrates a common pattern: genuine scientific credentials from an earlier career are used to build consumer trust that is then leveraged for a supplement business whose health claims go beyond what the underlying evidence supports, and whose distribution model generates most income for the company from recruiting activity rather than genuine retail product demand.

“USANA supplements provide superior cellular nutrition that prevents disease and optimizes health in ways conventional food cannot.”

USANA's health claims rest primarily on company-funded studies and marketing rather than independent peer-reviewed clinical evidence. Distributors were filmed recommending USANA products to treat serious illnesses including leukemia. Regulatory bodies do not permit supplement companies to claim disease treatment.

“USANA offers a genuine business opportunity through which distributors can earn substantial income.”

A 2007 fraud report alleged that 87% of active USANA distributors lost money and that the company failed to disclose this while exaggerating income potential. The class-action shareholder lawsuit alleged the business model was unsustainable and constituted a pyramid scheme.