Bill Britt

Bill Britt born Billy Bernard Britt is a leading Amway Distributor / Independent Business Owner (IBO) in the Amway/Quixtar business. He made is first money when he was eleven years old carrying out groceries to automobiles at an A&P grocery store as a bag boy. A&P stated they couldn't pay him because he was too young, so he was able to make money by earning tips. He earned nickels, dimes, every now and then a quarter, and at Christmas time, a half-dollar, earning an average of $14.00 to $15.00 dollars a week after school bagging and carrying out groceries. While living in Newport News, Virginia he discovered he could have a paper route. He serviced 180 customers in his afternoon route by bicycle. In addition, he later began a morning route. The young, ambitious Bill Britt, delivered his morning paper route, went to school, delivered his afternoon route after school, and then worked until 7pm Monday through Thursday at the A&P, and until 9pm on Friday and Saturdays. With income of about $15 on each deal, a total of $45 dollars a week, he earned about what his father made per week selling tires for Montgomery Wards. Bill's father was an alcoholic for most of Bill's young to young adult life, and so he gave all of the money he earned to his mother. He would always get a job whenever his family moved. Most times it would be at a supermarket. At one time he worked for an Acme Supermarket. At another period of time in his young adult life, he worked for $65 dollars a week as a produce manager of a small produce department. While living in Florida, he attended Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, Florida. While in Daytona Beach, he worked until 9pm after school doing brake jobs and oil changes and other mechanic work at a Sinclair gas station his father leased.
Not long after finishing high school, Bill Britt joined the United States Army, becoming a part of the Regular Army, with the enlistment MOS of Heavy Equipment Operator, with the expectation of becoming a bulldozer operator. Because of his good attitude and performance in recruit training, he was requested to go to Leaders Course in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. After completion, he was requested to go to Officer Candidate School. A major early positive influence in his life was when a Jewish Captain by the name of Schwartz who called Bill into his office. Over 40 candidates had already been dropped prior to this interview, and Bill expected the same fate for him in this meeting. However, when Captain Schwartz called Bill into his office, he stated, "all your marks look good, but, you just don't know how to study." Captain Schwartz then assigned two other officer candidates who were good students to Bill how to study in the library after lights out. Bill successfully graduated OCS and went to Korea.
Bill Britt begins Amway
He started his business on or around April 1, 1970. He was introduced to the business by way of a man from Buffalo, New York.
His initial investment to register and purchase a kit was $25.00. Bill returned home and showed it to 19 straight people who all said, "NO." Dexter Yager offered to come show the plan for Bill. Initially Bill refused because he thought he would have to pay Dexter. When Bill finally let Dexter come to his home to do the one and only plan for him to show him how to do the plan, Bill let him come, but told him to bring six kits. Bill's very first meeting, he sponsored a Bill and Dean Birch, and one other couple or person. He passed the 7500 point level his 3rd month in the business. Initially his policy was, "get them in faster than they get out." He had a revolving door policy, "get in tonight, get out tomorrow when you talk to your wife." On July 4, 1972 Bill Britt put on his Army combat boots, took his alarm clock outside and put it on his circular driveway, climbed on the top of his Winnebago Industries Motor Home bumper, and jumped onto his alarm clock smashing it to pieces.
Amway co-founder Richard DeVos in his 1994 book Compassionate Capitalism said "Britt has gone on to become one of the greatest mentors in the history of our company". Britt was a Diamond as of 1973 and Crown Ambassador as of 1996.
In 2002, together with his wife Peggy Britt, he qualified for the corporation's highest award; Founders Crown Ambassador. As of 2007 he was serving as a Presidents Cabinet Representative on the Independent Business Owners Association (IBOA) International Board.
Britt World Wide
Britt registered with Amway in 1970, in the downline of Dexter Yager. In the Amway business every new IBO is sponsored by an existing IBO. The downline of an IBO refers to the people sponsored by him, people sponsored by those he sponsored, and so on. Bonuses to an IBO are based on sales of his own as well as his those of his downlines.
In 1981 Britt split from the organization of Yager and started his own motivational organization called the Britt World Wide (BWW)BWW, like other IBO Support Organizations, helps Amway/Quixtar IBOs in Britt's downline to grow their businesses, by providing them with training and motivation through books, tapes and seminars.
Disputes & Controversies
Business Support Materials
A common characteristic of several IBO Support Organizations, including BWW, is that besides the bonuses on sale of Amway products, IBOs, after reaching higher levels receive bonuses on sale of motivational products like books, tapes, seminar tickets etc. There are allegations that most income of some high level IBOs comes from this support business rather than the Amway business. Other allegations of cult-like relationships being created in these organizations are made by exit-counselor Steve Hassan on his website "Freedom of Mind".
In 1991, Britt and Yager were the two main IBOs named in a Forbes magazine article criticizing the business for its cult-like characteristics and for making a few people rich at the cost of the rest.
In 1994, Britt and Yager were served a class action lawsuit by five former IBOs who accused them of making false claims about potential income of IBOs, importance of motivational materials and links between Amway and other large corporations.
In the 1998 Woods v. Amway case number CV98-511 in the Circuit Court of Lauderdale County, Alabama, Amway and several of its IBOs including Britt are accused by David Woods and Yan Woods of fraud with the motivation business, breach of contract in Amway enforcing its rules, civil conspiracy in the tools business, and tortious interference with business relationships.
Investment loss
In 2001, Britt invested $5 million with two securities dealers who promised him a 10 percent per month return on his money from investment in a "private placement program". In 2003, the two dealers were arrested in what was described as the largest financial fraud case in North Carolina history.
Skaggs Lawsuit
In July, 2007, a lawsuit was filed by International Business Solutions, Inc., a company operated by Emeralds Henry and Sue Skaggs, naming Bill and Peggy Britt, Paul & Leslie Miller]], Rocky Covington, Kevin and Beth Bell, and Britt WorldWide as defendants. The suit alleges that the Skaggs, having developed a software system to allow for direct order fulfillment of Business Support Materials (BSM) to their downline, received approval from Britt to continue the development of the software program for eventual rollout to all of BWW. During this time, the Skaggs state that they carried the burden of the development costs. According to the lawsuit, in 2005 Bill Britt rescinded the agreement. The Skaggs then claim they were "de-edified by their upline". The suit alleges breach of contract, racketeering, and intentional interference with economic relations.
In response, the defendants claimed that no contract was entered into and challenged the lawsuit on various other legal grounds.
The case was remanded to the Georgia State Court, and the defendants have reportedly defaulted. Judgment will be made by the Judge of District court, Columbus, GA.

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