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(Asia Times) Weird Pyramid scheme suckered more than a million investors who bought a $1,300 box of ants, which they were then required to provide with food and water until death   (atimes.com) divider line 52
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Lancet Jades 2008-01-13 06:25:11 AM  
Sounds awesome...where do I sign up?

 
Scifientologist 2008-01-13 06:27:57 AM  
You know who else had a pyramid scheme?

WRONG!

It was Cobra Commander.

/geek trivia ftw!

 
PunGent 2008-01-13 06:28:30 AM  
If this actually produced a product which was in turn consumed, and ran successfully for 8 years, was it just a failed business, rather than a pyramid scheme?

 
Jamrock 2008-01-13 06:28:58 AM  
We should go to China, we could make billions...

 
moof 2008-01-13 06:40:02 AM  
PunGent: If this actually produced a product which was in turn consumed, and ran successfully for 8 years, was it just a failed business, rather than a pyramid scheme?

I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter. What's your e-mail address? You'll want to subscribe to my newsletter too, it has all kinds of wonderful business opportunities for an astute man of intelligence and business acumen as yourself.

 
Tweeker 2008-01-13 06:42:24 AM  
Wang is to be executed.

 
nobozo 2008-01-13 06:42:56 AM  
tbn0.google.com

Prime farm land for sale.

 
pjc51 2008-01-13 06:49:40 AM  
Scifientologist: You know who else had a pyramid scheme?

Cheops?

 
ME-iac 2008-01-13 07:00:44 AM  
Scifientologist: You know who else had a pyramid scheme?

Amway?

 
Bomb Head Mohammed 2008-01-13 07:21:07 AM  
Scifientologist: You know who else had a pyramid scheme?

Campus Crusade for Christ?

 
Moonk 2008-01-13 07:29:36 AM  
Bomb Head Mohammed: Scifientologist: You know who else had a pyramid scheme?


Scientology?

 
Evil Brian The Intern 2008-01-13 07:30:25 AM  
Scifientologist: You know who else had a pyramid scheme?

Daft Punk?

 
TaGirl_Keri 2008-01-13 07:32:25 AM  
Scifientologist: You know who else had a pyramid scheme?
Eric Flint
/obscure?

 
ComaToast 2008-01-13 07:32:53 AM  
An ant is a friend for life. Well, its life anyway...

 
starsrift 2008-01-13 07:34:27 AM  
PunGent: If this actually produced a product which was in turn consumed, and ran successfully for 8 years, was it just a failed business, rather than a pyramid scheme?

Yeah, this. I mean, it's just another business that resorted to using employee payments as capital. I fail to see the pyramid, just a boss and a bunch of ant farmers. Don't pyramid schemes require more levels of fail than two?

 
Dumski 2008-01-13 07:36:25 AM  
Chinese. Amateurs.
2bangkok.com

 
I_Can't_Believe_it's_not_Boutros 2008-01-13 07:38:33 AM  
Dead ant, dead ant,
Dead ant, dead ant, dead ant, dead ant, dead ant,
Dead ant...dead ant.

 
Gobobo 2008-01-13 07:42:28 AM  
Scifientologist: You know who else had a pyramid scheme?

The Ancient Egyptians?

 
Bomb Head Mohammed 2008-01-13 07:48:51 AM  
starsrift: Yeah, this. I mean, it's just another business that resorted to using employee payments as capital. I fail to see the pyramid, just a boss and a bunch of ant farmers. Don't pyramid schemes require more levels of fail than two

Do you really think they made $300+ million in sales in a country (where people don't watch much tv) through banner ads where people phoned in to their call center and gave their credit card numbers even though such people probably didnt have credit cards much less bank accounts?

 
dial999 2008-01-13 07:49:12 AM  
Tweeker: Wang is to be executed.

Time warp again? The leading article states that Wang was arrested last month.

 
Mobro4000 2008-01-13 07:50:25 AM  
ha ha. reminds me of the diet scams industry in the U S of A.

 
Jack31081 2008-01-13 08:19:27 AM  
I guess China has very flat pyramids, because so far as I can tell, that scheme only had two levels. the company and the "investors".

 
2chris2 2008-01-13 08:32:12 AM  
This is a Ponzi scheme, not a pyramid scheme, at least as the article is describing it.

 
Griffers 2008-01-13 08:38:01 AM  
You know who else had a pyramid scheme?

The Social Security Administration?

 
SimonSaid 2008-01-13 08:45:02 AM  
Mobro4000: ha ha. reminds me of the diet scams industry in the U S of A.

HEY, the diet industry works. People lose weight. Is it their fault that it finds them again? A friend of mine lost 10 pounds last month and I found 5 of them around my waist. I don't like him any more.

 
bighairyguy [TotalFark] 2008-01-13 08:53:25 AM  
nobozo: Prime farm land for sale.

I love my ant farm. Eating their little corpses gives me super strength, laser beam eyes and the ability to fly. If you would to share in this, please send me all your money.

 
bingo the psych-o 2008-01-13 09:05:19 AM  
I hate ant farms. It's almost impossible to milk the damn things.

 
starsrift 2008-01-13 09:20:48 AM  
Bomb Head Mohammed: starsrift: Yeah, this. I mean, it's just another business that resorted to using employee payments as capital. I fail to see the pyramid, just a boss and a bunch of ant farmers. Don't pyramid schemes require more levels of fail than two

Do you really think they made $300+ million in sales in a country (where people don't watch much tv) through banner ads where people phoned in to their call center and gave their credit card numbers even though such people probably didnt have credit cards much less bank accounts?


We're talking about "home remedies".
In China. Where people eat ground up rocks for similar health "reasons".

I'm prepared to believe it.

 
NutWrench 2008-01-13 09:35:02 AM  
Man, I have to get in on some of this before we run out of ants!

 
GoldSpider 2008-01-13 09:48:10 AM  
Did someone say pyramid scheme?

static.howstuffworks.com

 
Unknown_Poltroon [recently expired TotalFark] 2008-01-13 09:54:36 AM  
starsrift:

We're talking about "home remedies".
In China. Where people eat ground up rocks for similar health "reasons".

I'm prepared to believe it.


Dude, relax, youll make yourself sick. Take some pepto and iron supplements, youll feel better.

 
RidgeRacerZX6 2008-01-13 10:20:52 AM  
dial999: Tweeker: Wang is to be executed.

Time warp again? The leading article states that Wang was arrested last month.


Are you saying this Wang is hung?

 
Quickdart 2008-01-13 10:28:06 AM  
dial999: Tweeker: Wang is to be executed.

Time warp again? The leading article states that Wang was arrested last month.


In February 2007 Wang Zhendong was sentenced to death for an ant-farming pyramid scheme.

In January 2008 Wang Fengyou was arrested for "instigating social unrest" and he was running ANOTHER ant-farming scheme. I'm guessing he's not going to get off with a fine.

 
wowzer97pooh 2008-01-13 10:31:21 AM  
I thhink we should adopt the Communist Chinese model on investment scams. Shoot the convicted scammer in the back of the head.

Poor Ken Lay had to cover his suicide up with a fake heart attack.
What a shame he couldn't have been helped along the way with a conviction and execution.

 
sgnilward 2008-01-13 10:32:07 AM  
Wang Zhendong


/snicker
/snicker

 
Nuclear Monk 2008-01-13 11:02:48 AM  
Is there anything in China that *doesn't* have healing properties?

 
Richard Saunders 2008-01-13 11:13:01 AM  
E-I-E-I-O

 
HipOldGuy 2008-01-13 11:37:24 AM  
i30.photobucket.com

Just in case that pic does not work! (new window)

Monty Python: Department Store & Buying An Ant (new window)

SCRIPT:
Link (new window)


Chris: What do you feed them on?
Hartford: Blancmange.
Chris: Blancmange?
Hartford: I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that. No, you don't feed them at all.
Chris: Well, what do they live on?
Hartford: They don't. They die.
Chris: They die?
Hartford: Well of course they do, if you don't feed them.
Chris: I don't understand.
Hartford: You let them die, then you buy another one. It's much cheaper than feeding them and that way you have a constant variety of little companions.
Chris: Oh, I see.
Hartford: That's the advantage of owning an ant.


//first thing I thought of!

 
Ernie McBert 2008-01-13 11:55:54 AM  
The word "ants" always makes me think of...

i189.photobucket.com

What is this...a school for ants?

 
smert 2008-01-13 12:00:52 PM  
GoldSpider: Did someone say pyramid scheme?

It wasn't a scheme until the goverment decided to spend the money instead of investing it...

 
GoldSpider 2008-01-13 12:13:44 PM  
smert: GoldSpider: Did someone say pyramid scheme?

It wasn't a scheme until the goverment decided to spend the money instead of investing it...


Which would have been great, except it was never intended to be invested. It was just another FDR wealth-redistribution programs.

 
Gregosaurus 2008-01-13 12:22:50 PM  
Tweeker: Wang is to be executed.

And that's just for the "Failure to signal while changing lanes" charge.

/Strict folks, them Chinese...

 
BravadoGT [TotalFark] 2008-01-13 12:45:22 PM  
Scifientologist: You know who else had a pyramid scheme?

The USDA?

www.schodack.k12.ny.us

 
cretinbob [TotalFark] 2008-01-13 01:16:59 PM  
Their death or the ants death?

 
whammer 2008-01-13 01:33:20 PM  
i2.photobucket.com

 
thespindrifter [recently expired TotalFark] 2008-01-13 01:51:01 PM  
Nuclear Monk: Is there anything in China that *doesn't* have healing properties?

My guess would be various painted toys...

 
dbaggins 2008-01-13 02:21:34 PM  
Scifientologist: You know who else had a pyramid scheme?

The Joker ?

 
PunGent 2008-01-13 05:33:06 PM  
"You'll want to subscribe to my newsletter too, it has all kinds of wonderful business opportunities for an astute man of intelligence and business acumen as yourself."

I beat the U.S. stock market by 20% last year, by jumping into the energy sector with both feet...so I only worked about 3 weeks total in the last 12 months, and that was voluntary, for various friends of mine.

How YOU doin' ?

 
simpsonfan 2008-01-13 07:15:51 PM  
I had an ant farm. I lost money, they wouldn't grow crops. I never earned any money until I trained them to sort tiny screws.

 
Feldspar Q. Walrustitty 2008-01-13 10:51:56 PM  
Perhaps they thought Mr. Wang was Michael Ellis?

/knew I wasn't going to be first

 
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