Mike Lindell, the Minnesota businessman best known as the MyPillow founder and an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, has found himself in hot water again. This time, he’s struggling to avoid paying $5 million to a man who called him out on a big claim he made about the 2020 presidential election.
Here’s the story: Back in 2021, Lindell hosted a “Cyber Symposium” in South Dakota. He promised to share evidence that he claimed proved there was foreign interference, specifically from China, in the 2020 election. To back up his confidence, he issued a challenge called “Prove Mike Wrong.” The rules were simple: anyone who could prove his data wasn’t from the election would win a hefty $5 million prize.
Enter Robert Zeidman, an engineer and Trump supporter. Zeidman wasn’t entirely sure of his chances but decided to take Lindell up on the offer. After carefully analyzing the data, he discovered it had nothing to do with the 2020 election. Zeidman won the challenge fair and square, as even Lindell’s own arbitration panel eventually confirmed.
But instead of paying up, Lindell dug in his heels. He refused to hand over the prize money and tried to fight the decision in court. The case moved through various legal stages, and earlier this year, a federal judge in Minnesota upheld Zeidman’s win, affirming that he was indeed owed the $5 million. The judge also added post-judgment interest to the amount, which has been building up since April 2023.
Despite these rulings, Lindell hasn’t made things easy. According to U.S. Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster, Lindell hasn’t provided the financial information that Zeidman needs to collect the money. For example, Lindell submitted QuickBooks files that were password-protected and didn’t respond to requests for other documents or questions. After Zeidman’s lawyer asked the court to intervene, the judge ruled in Zeidman’s favor, saying the requests were reasonable and ordering Lindell to comply.
This isn’t the first time Lindell has been called out for stalling. Back in August 2024, Zeidman was awarded attorney’s fees because of Lindell’s repeated delays during the legal discovery process. On top of that, Lindell has had trouble keeping lawyers—several have dropped out of the case.
It’s been a rough ride for Lindell, whose troubles started with his bold claims at the South Dakota symposium. He had promised “cyber data and packet captures” to prove his point, but Zeidman proved the data didn’t match up. Now, Lindell is not only facing financial consequences but also ongoing legal headaches.
As the case drags on in Minnesota, Zeidman remains determined to get what he’s owed. For now, the saga of the “Prove Mike Wrong” challenge serves as a cautionary tale about making big promises you can’t back up.
