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  1. Home
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  3. Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
  4. Herbalife
Herbalife logo
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals

Who Owns Herbalife?

Herbalife is owned by Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF), a Cayman Islands holding company with its main operating base in Los Angeles, California. The parent owns the Herbalife and Herbalife Nutrition trademarks, product formulas, manufacturing assets, and distributor system. Mark Hughes founded the business in 1980. The brand now covers meal replacements, dietary supplements, sports nutrition, energy products, and skin care sold through independent distributors around the world.

Parent Company

Herbalife Ltd.

Founded

1980

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

Los Angeles, California, USA

premiummass marketGlobalall-agesOfficial Website

Who Owns Herbalife?

  • Parent Company: Herbalife Ltd.
  • Ownership Type: Wholly owned
  • Company Type: Publicly Traded
  • Stock Ticker: NYSE: HLF
BrandParent CompanyOwnership Type
HerbalifeHerbalife Ltd.Wholly owned

Where to Buy

Disclosure: We may earn commission from purchases
AmazonHerbalife on Amazon

History of Herbalife

  • Founded: 1980
  • Founders: Mark Hughes

Mark Hughes started Herbalife in Los Angeles in 1980. Formula 1 shake mix became the central product, and independent distributors sold products and recruited other participants. International expansion followed during the 1980s and 1990s.

The company first entered public markets in 1986. It went private after Hughes's death, then returned to the NYSE in 2004. Herbalife expanded from meal replacements into targeted nutrition, sports products, energy, and personal care.

The distributor model drew sustained regulatory scrutiny. In 2016, Herbalife agreed to pay $200 million and restructure its U.S. operations under a Federal Trade Commission settlement. The order tied compensation more closely to verified retail sales and required detailed compliance controls.

About Herbalife Ltd.

What does Herbalife own?
Herbalife owns a single primary brand with 144 product types across weight management, targeted nutrition, energy sports and fitness, and outer nutrition categories. In 2025, the company expanded its portfolio through acquisitions of Pro2col, Link BioSciences, Pruvit, and Bioniq, building a personalization ecosystem. Its best-selling product is the Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix, which accounts for approximately 25% of net sales.

Is Herbalife publicly traded?
Yes, Herbalife Ltd. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol HLF. The company has been listed since 2004, when it completed its IPO after a period as a private company. As of February 2026, there were approximately 103.4 million common shares outstanding.

Who founded Herbalife?
Mark Hughes founded Herbalife in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. Hughes was 24 years old at the time and started the company after his mother's struggles with unhealthy weight loss methods. He led the company until his death in 2000 at age 44. Hughes built the business through a direct sales model that recruited independent distributors to sell nutrition products.

Where is Herbalife headquartered?
Herbalife maintains its corporate headquarters in Los Angeles, California, USA. The company is legally organized as a Cayman Islands exempted holding company, with principal operations conducted through U.S. subsidiaries including Herbalife International of America, Inc. Manufacturing facilities are located in the United States, China, and India.

How many brands does Herbalife own?
Herbalife operates primarily as a single-brand company, selling products under the Herbalife name and sub-brands like Herbalife24 and Herbalife SKIN. The company has 144 product types sold in 95 markets. In 2025, Herbalife began acquiring additional brands including Pro2col, Link BioSciences, Pruvit, and Bioniq to build a multi-brand personalization platform.

Who owns Herbalife?
Herbalife is owned by its public shareholders, with institutional investors holding significant stakes. Major institutional holders have included Icahn Capital LP, Vanguard Group, and BlackRock, according to SEC 13F filings. The company does not have a dual-class share structure, so all common shares carry equal voting rights. The board is chaired by Michael O. Johnson, with Stephan Gratziani serving as CEO.

What is Herbalife's revenue?
Herbalife reported $5.0 billion in net sales for FY2025, a 0.9% increase from FY2024. On a constant currency basis, net sales increased 2.5% year-over-year. The company reported adjusted EBITDA of $657.6 million for FY2025, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 13.1%. For Q1 2026, net sales were $1.3 billion, up 7.8% year-over-year.

Is Herbalife involved in any legal or regulatory proceedings?
Herbalife is permanently subject to a 2016 FTC consent order requiring restructured compensation practices and 80% retail sales verification. The company has settled multiple class action lawsuits, including a $32.5 million settlement in 2020. The FTC settlement required $200 million in consumer redress, and checks were sent to nearly 350,000 affected distributors. Herbalife remains under independent monitoring for FTC compliance.

  • Founded: 1980
  • Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Company Type: Publicly Traded
  • Stock: NYSE: HLF
  • Revenue: $5.0 billion (FY2025)
  • Employees: Approximately 8,500

Visit Herbalife Ltd. website

View full company profile for Herbalife Ltd.

Where Is Herbalife Made / Based?

  • Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Manufacturing / Operations: United States, China, India

Herbalife Categories & Tags

NutritionDietary SupplementsWeight ManagementDirect Selling

Herbalife Ownership: Pros & Cons

Advantages

  • +Public reporting provides financial and operational disclosure
  • +Global distribution supports sales across many markets
  • +Parent-owned manufacturing supports product oversight
  • +A broad product range extends beyond meal replacements

Considerations

  • -Distributor conduct can affect the national brand
  • -The sales model remains under regulatory scrutiny
  • -Product claims require careful compliance control
  • -Foreign exchange changes affect reported results

Frequently Asked Questions About Herbalife

Sources & Further Reading

  • Herbalife 2024 Form 10-K:
  • FTC Herbalife settlement:
  • Herbalife Investor Relations:

Competitors to Herbalife

These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.

BrandParent CompanyCountryFoundedMarket PositionPrimary MarketGender Target
WeightWatchersWeightWatchers
Weight Watchers
USA
1963
Mass marketGlobalAll-ages

Learn More About Competitors

WeightWatchersHealthcare Pharmaceuticals

WeightWatchers

Owned by WW International

Weight management and health subscription brand owned by WW International, Inc., combining behavioral programs with clinical services.

weight-managementnutritionhealth-subscriptions

Competitive Analysis

Market Positioning: Herbalife competes with 1 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.

Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.

Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.

Independent Alternatives to Herbalife

Looking for brands with different ownership structures? These similar brands are not owned by Herbalife Ltd., giving you alternative choices that support different corporate structures.

BootsHealthcare Pharmaceuticals

Boots

Owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance

Boots is the UK's leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, founded in 1849, now operating as The Boots Group under Sycamore Partners since August 2025.

pharmacyhealth-beautyuk-retail
Privately Owned

Boots is privately owned, unlike Herbalife which is under a publicly traded parent company.

Duane ReadeHealthcare Pharmaceuticals

Duane Reade

Owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance

Duane Reade is a New York City drugstore chain owned by Walgreen Co. under Sycamore Partners, operating approximately 90 stores across the five boroughs.

pharmacydrugstorenew-york
Privately Owned

Duane Reade is privately owned, unlike Herbalife which is under a publicly traded parent company.

Pharmacy DirectHealthcare Pharmaceuticals

Pharmacy Direct

Owned by Chempro Chemists

Australian online pharmacy operated by Chempro Chemists from Molendinar, Queensland. Offers prescription medications, health products, and wellness items through digital platforms and mail-order delivery.

online-pharmacymail-orderdigital-health
Privately Owned

Pharmacy Direct is privately owned, unlike Herbalife which is under a publicly traded parent company.

WalgreensHealthcare Pharmaceuticals

Walgreens

Owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance

Walgreens is the largest U.S. pharmacy retail brand, operating roughly 8,000 stores. It went private in August 2025 under Sycamore Partners as a standalone company.

pharmacydrugstoreretail-pharmacy
Privately Owned

Walgreens is privately owned, unlike Herbalife which is under a publicly traded parent company.

AlconHealthcare Pharmaceuticals

Alcon

Owned by Alcon Inc.

Independent publicly traded global eye care company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, specializing in surgical equipment, contact lenses, and ophthalmic products. Spun off from Novartis in April 2019.

eye-carecontact-lensesophthalmic
Publicly Traded

Alcon operates independently without a large parent corporation.

AmgenHealthcare Pharmaceuticals

Amgen

Owned by Amgen Inc.

Master biotechnology brand of Amgen Inc., the world's largest independent biotech, covering its full portfolio of biologic medicines.

biotechnologypharmaceuticalsbiologics
Publicly Traded

Amgen operates independently without a large parent corporation.

Herbalife Ltd. Stock Information

Jobs at Herbalife Ltd.

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Last reviewed: August 8, 2026 · Reviewed by Who Brands Editorial Team