In a harrowing case, Herbalife promoter Lim Peng Tiong, 66, pleaded guilty on February 9, 2026, to culpable homicide for the death of his 19-year-old downline, Huang Baoying, who died on May 5, 2021, after months of torture, The Straits Times. Huang lost 43% of her body weight, dropping to 27.6kg, from starvation, beatings (up to 240 strikes with a stick), and other abuses directed by Lim’s upline, Chee Mei Wan, 44. Chee and Huang’s brother face murder charges, with trials pending.
Lim recruited Huang and her brother into Herbalife in 2018 at ages 16–17. The siblings left home in 2020 after disputes over spending $2,000 monthly on products, moving in with Lim. Chee, Lim’s upline and the brother’s lover, imposed fines, exercise punishments, and escalating abuse for poor sales, including food deprivation from January 2021 and 240 beatings days before death. Huang died from malnutrition, sepsis, and blunt force trauma, according to the autopsy. Lim’s defense claims he was “brainwashed,” seeking an 11-year sentence against prosecutors’ 20 years.
Herbalife, often criticized as an MLM pyramid scheme, faced similar accusations in cases like OnPassive ($32M SEC settlement). The Singapore case highlights how sales quotas and upline pressure can lead to extreme control. Chee exempted herself from punishments while enforcing them on downlines, mirroring MLM dynamics where uplines profit from recruits’ efforts. Herbalife’s global operations continue amid scrutiny, with crypto markets like Bitcoin ($113,234) unaffected, according to CoinMarketCap.
Singapore’s case may prompt tighter MLM oversight, similar to Vanuatu’s Alliance in Motion ban. Investors should avoid MLM schemes promising high returns and verify via sec.gov or local regulators. Diversify into BTC or USDC with stop-losses below $112,000, TradingView. Follow @TheBlock__ on X for updates. Herbalife’s model risks further scandals if unchecked, underscoring MLM dangers in 2026.
