This paper will examine the propagated direct marketing business in mainland China. When this business was first introduced into mainland China in the early 1990s, it has attracted wide attention and some people took it as the “last opportunity in the 20th century to make a fortune. “However, when this business developed into a pyramid scheme shortly after it has been taken in, the official attitude toward it changed from “not reject” to “not support,” followed by a revision of some regulations governing its operation. This has not only incurred great losses to foreign investors but also resulted in riots in Guangzhou and Hunan. Later, under the US pressure, the mainland Chinese authorities began to allow it to revive to some extent. By far, no one is sure about the future development of the propagated direct marketing business in mainland China.