Market America's American Dream Machine

(Corrects story published June 23, 2011 to clarify fees and commission structure in 2nd and 9th paragraphs; age of Loren Ridinger in 4th paragraph; and success of latecomers in 18th paragraph).

JR Ridinger, 61, has the master salesman's knack of seeming intensely interested in you. He leans forward, tense with anticipation, as he asks about where you live, what you do, whether you are married, have children. He remarks at how wonderful your life seems, at how exciting it all must be. Ridinger is a multimillionaire who lives in a 35,000-square-foot mansion on Biscayne Bay with a 150-foot yacht moored at the dock. He has a beautiful wife and celebrity friends, a $25 million Manhattan condo. He is the president, chief executive officer, and 93 percent owner of Market America, the e-commerce dynamo that made $393 million last year, according to company figures. And he is happy for you! That salesman's gift, that ability to make you believe in yourself, is why he has all this.