Infomercial News: Don Lapre Dead of Apparent Suicide

1990s infomercial personality Don Lapre has died, apparently from a suicide while in prison awaiting a trial for fraud. Read details here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2044687/Don-Lapre-dead-Arizona-TV-pitchman-commits-suicide-cell-52m-fraud-trial.html

The boyish, energetic Don Lapre first came to prominence for a series of infomercials promoting a money making opportunity based on placing “tiny classified ads” in local newspapers.

Later he went on to promote a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme called “The Greatest Vitamin in the World,” which is the product that got him into legal trouble:

A search on YouTube also finds this strange video of Don Lapre with Alan Thicke promoting some sort of advertising kiosk business opportunity called “The Incredible Products Store”

Don Lapre’s “tiny classified ads” infomercial is a classic that became a pop culture phenomenon in its time. I have an old VHS tape with of a version of it in which Lapre is interviewed by fellow 1990s pseudo-celebrity Cindy Margolis. It was one of those infomercials that I always intended to write about but never got around to.

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Thanks to reader Fax Machine for letting us know the news about Don Lapre.