where all outcomes for any person are equally likely no matter what that person does. It's not as if MLM is a "sign up and wait to see if you make $$ or not" deal. The probabilities of success are not based on some game but largely on how good people are at selling stuff. People who do well in MLM could probably do well in LOTS of sales occupations. People who do really well in MLM are (probably) about as rare as people who can do well in any sales job where you have to be 100% self motivated-- that is to say, there are not very many people who can succeed in a job like that. Hence the numbers.