In February 1980, Mark Hughes began selling the original Herbalife weight loss product from the trunk of his car. Hughes often stated that the genesis of his product and program stemmed from the weight loss concerns of his mother, whose death he attributed to an eating disorder and an unhealthy approach to weight loss. Adopting the multi-level marketing system for distribution and growth, the company attracted thousands of distributors who sold its products door-to-door or through word-of-mouth, shunning commercial distribution in retail stores.
Mark Hughes died at age 44. The Los Angeles County Coroner autopsy results ruled that the entrepreneur had died of an accidental overdose. The company continued to grow after his death and in 2002 was acquired by Whitney and Co LLC and Golden Gate Capital for USD 685 million, who took the company private again.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbalife
Sad ending - liquor and drugs for someone who represents a healthy lifestyle.