Nu Skin and the brilliance of the product, but he said earlier in an interview that "I tell people the whole story, which is that it's not going to be easy." Tran, who was coy about his age but appeared to be in his late 20s or early 30s, was perhaps surprisingly honest about the bad reputation the MLM has in some quarters: "Everywhere in the world, it has a negative stigma." Asked why, he said because "so many who participate fail." In the 1990s, Nu Skin reached settlements with five states in the United States that had accused it of deceptive marketing and overstating the income earned by distributors. In 1994, the Federal Trade Commission investigated some of the claims it was making for the efficacy of a hair loss prevention potion, an anti-wrinkle cream and a product for treating minor burns. The company paid $1 million. In 1997, the FTC fined it $1. 5 million for making unsubstantiated claims about fat-loss products. Those decisions hit the company's reputation and its bottom line, and it began aggressively exploring markets abroad. Along with other firms like Amway and Avon, they found success in Asia where strong family, work, religious and community ties mean that network marketing was a natural fit. Multilevel marketing businesses have a strained history in China and Vietnam, whose Communist rulers have been wary of pyramid-based sales schemes that have been characterized by some as preying on the dreams of poor citizens. They also fear that unrest