The majority of the wealth of the tiny number of top-ranked distributors in this country comes not just from the sale of Amway products but from selling motivational materials and organizing seminars and rallies for the people below them. Amway has made a very few people very rich while paying its foot soldiers more in inspiration than in cash. There is nothing particularly unique about this in the history of business. What is unique is the faith, devotion and hope that the foot soldiers have. Critics of Amway have compared it to a cult whose main product is Amway itself.
Amway folk do resemble religious devotees in some respects.
They have great faith in their company, its products, and the hope for wealth and early retirement. Instead of a parade of souls healed by faith, Amway faithful are treated to testimonials of early retirement with plenty of money. While there have been some accusations of persecution of those who have left the flock, by and large Amway devotion seems harmless enough. Amway doesn't seem to differ much from other zealous big corporations which preach positive thinking about the business of business in endless motivation seminars and retreats, books, tapes, brochures, among other things. Graham Baldwin of the United Kingdom compares an Amway motivational meeting to a revival or cult meeting.