Cristiano Ronaldo and Herbalife: When Celebrity Endorsements Mask a Deeper Problem

This week, Cristiano Ronaldo shared a polished tweet promoting Herbalife24, touting the importance of simplicity, protein, and rest—along with a bottle in hand and an #Ad disclaimer. On the surface, it looks like just another sports sponsorship. But beneath the glossy marketing lies a troubling truth about Herbalife and its multi-level marketing (MLM) business model that deserves serious scrutiny.

Herbalife is not just a nutrition company. It’s a global MLM enterprise that relies heavily on recruitment and distributor purchases, not just product sales, to generate billions in revenue. While Ronaldo enjoys a lucrative sponsorship deal and top-tier product access, the average Herbalife distributor is often left chasing false promises.

According to past FTC investigations, the majority of Herbalife distributors earn little to no profit—many actually lose money. The glamorous lifestyle sold through Instagram stories and celebrity ads like Ronaldo’s is rarely attainable for everyday sellers. Instead, new recruits are encouraged to buy starter kits, attend expensive events, and maintain high product volumes just to remain “active.” It’s a pay-to-play system masked as entrepreneurship.

What’s even more concerning is the psychological manipulation baked into the MLM model. Herbalife reps are coached to mimic success, keep smiling through debt, and silence doubt—making it hard for victims to even realize they’re being exploited. Ronaldo’s endorsement, whether knowingly or not, contributes to this illusion by lending the brand the credibility of a world-renowned athlete.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about whether the protein powder “works.” It’s about the ethics of promoting a business model that preys on vulnerable people under the guise of health, wealth, and wellness. Herbalife uses legitimate-looking products and partnerships to cloak a structure that has been accused—by regulators and whistleblowers alike—of functioning like a pyramid scheme.

So next time you see a superstar like Cristiano Ronaldo touting Herbalife, remember: for him, it’s a paid gig. For many others, it’s a costly trap.