Dr Jekyll and Mr. Kosage

In the fall of 2003 Dean Kosage, now Founders Diamond, wrote me about my site. He and his daughter happened upon my web site when they were doing a search on his daughter's birthday. His daughter was looking to find out what hits might come up for her mother, Rebecca, Dean's former wife. In a subsequent mail in the spring of 2004, I was quasi challenged by Dean to check him out. From his reply, I guess he had offered me an opportunity to fly out and check him and the business out. I reread his mail and saw he had offered such and opportunity to other "nay sayers".

"I gave you plenty of time and called your bluff on being willing to investigate or meet my team or family and see if you thought we were off base."

Frankly, I didn't interpret it as being an offer directly to me. But since he threw the gauntlet out, and since I'm not one to leave stones unturned, I decide to check Dean out as best I could.

Since Dean and Rebecca were married while in the business as Founders Emeralds, I thought I would start out and see what the divorce court files had on them and their business. In the Sticler divorce court case, sent to me by a site visitor, I was able to get interesting financial information about an Executive Diamond's business. No doubt the Kosage divorce file would be a good starting point out for Dean.

After some effort I was able to obtain a copy of Dean's divorce court file from King County in Washington State. Not only is there a lot of very interesting business information available in the file, but there is a lot of interesting personal information as well. I'm sure this information was not known widely know at the time in WWDB and in their downline.

Since this page went up, I have received letters received by WWDB diamond leaders about his conduct and interference with downline businesses. The letters are at this link. The conduct highlighted by
his former wife is also confirmed by his downline.

I'm sure it was never made public in WWDB, but his wife filed for divorce on grounds of Dean's abuse and violence. You can read about in Declaration of Rebecca Kosage.

In the declaration it states

"Dean has been violent in the past, even before we were married.
He has always had a problem with anger."

"The physical abuse may have been minor (if there is such a thing), but it was regular".

"When my mother moved in with us about 8 months ago, most of the physical abuse stopped, but Dean's verbal abuse has become more acute".

Business information revealed in the Feb. 1998 declaration that their business generated about $5,270/month in net income. Dean's monthly speaking fees generated about $4,500/month of which $2,950/month was paid out as travel expenses. Local open meeting speaking fees netted them $1,550/month. Also mentioned notes that the Kosage's had not filed their 1997, or their 1996 income taxes. It is also interesting to read the description of the time the business required for two with "retirement status" since they did not have jobs.

"Dean's part of the business is 'networking' and my part is 'servicing'. Dean attends meetings
at least 4 nights each week from 8 pm on. He goes to Vancouver and Victoria, B.C.,
and Portland, OR from Friday until Sunday once per month (each). He must go to
California, Chicago, and Iowa once very two weeks. Then on the weekends he is home,
he usually has meetings during the days. Basically, Dean's schedule is set up around
other people's working schedules and is opposite of the typical '9 to 5' day. My day, on
the other hand, paying company bills and putting together orders and packages for
our dealers and/or customers. Until recently, I also attended evening meetings with
Dean. My schedule is flexible so that I can be with Teagan. We've hired my mother
full-time as a secretary/nanny ($1,400 per month gross)".

"As noted Dean has a heavy travel schedule and is hardly around".

Rebecca details the net monthly income from "checks" she receives was about $5,270. Additionally there are bonuses made three times per year from Amway totaling about $35,000 for a total of about $98,240/year. From this description it seems the Kosage's had at least a 6 day per week job, requiring extensive travel, paying what appears to be two full time workers each about $49,000/year with no benefits. I'm not sure if their work schedule would add up to the "freedom" so widely promoted in the business.

"Dean (as an Emerald in 97) was in Iowa City, Iowa showing a plan for me when his daughter was born. ... I was instructed not to breath a word to anyone, as it might give the wrong impression that he wasn't a family man and/or the question of his 'control of time' " Site visitor

The next interesting document is the financial Declaration of the Petitioner.

Dean was listed in the January, 1993 Amagram as a new Emerald. Five years later in 1998 their accumulated assets were just $12,000, of which $6,500 was cash and $5,500 in the Amway mutual fund for profit sharing directs. The couple's net worth after 5 years of being Emerald was still a negative $6,900, due to $18,900 in liabilities. At the time the couple was renting their house. To give the outward appearance of being well off Dean drove a Mercedes with $1,200/month payment. Rebecca drove a Suburban with a $676/month payment. By September 1998 their accumulated debts were $41,595 not including the vehicles.

In a second Declaration by Rebecca Kosage Rebecca describes an incident in front of their home where the police were called

"Dean jumped out of the car and kicked my mother in the stomach (karate style) with
so much force she was flattened on her back and had the wind knocked out of here.
She was lying on the ground in a fetal position when Dean began to back up the car.
He almost hit her. He stopped in the middle of the road and threw a (baby)
bottle (full) at her, hitting her in the head. Then he got out of the car, came up to her,
called her a "fat b-tch" and a "f-king c-nt", and slapped her across the head.
He unzipped his pants and told her she cold "suck on this, you f-king c-nt".

Due to some smooth talking by Dean, Rebecca was arrested for assault for grabbing at Dean's cell phone to ask the police for help!

"He has asked me to lie to his business associates so that he can continue to speak in
seminars. (Amway puts high priority on family values and if they knew the reality
of our separation situation, Dean would not be allowed to represent them.)"

"he took Teagan around, showing her pictures, telling her he'd built this house by himself
(we rent) and that 'No matter what. I'm the head of this household and she [Mommy]
will follow me or else!' He called me a "f-cking b-tch" to my daughter.
Then he unzipped his pants, grabbed himself and told me, "Suck this!"

"a few minutes later I heard a crash at the door. Dean had thrown the car seat against it." "Although he is in a domestic violence treatment program at Northwest Family Life, he denies having any problems with anger, control or violence (he has a BIG problem with all three.)"

In a reply Declaration by Dean Kosage, Dean denies the above allegations, and goes on to mention how his wife was not abiding by the financial and business agreements. Additionally Dean mentions that he was missing out on about $15,000/year in speaking fees from World Wide Dream Builders due to the sparation and possible divorce.

"we are losing about $15,000 a year, because pending a dissolution or reconciliation,
I can not do large group speaking which paid about $2,500 every two months."

"I also ask the court that we should be mutually restrained from discussing the
court proceedings with out contacts in the business."

"Our business is base on funds from two sources. Worldwide, which is essentially the sales of tapes and promotional materials, which provides a weekly income of approximately $1,200. ($5,160 @4.3 weeks per month). In addition, we receive approximately $6,000 a month ($72,000/year) from Amway for our percentage o the sale of product. Our monthly net income is approximately $11,000. Business related expenses, including the expenses for shipping and the bonuses for distributors under us, gives us a monthly net income of $9,800."

Dean's statements about income add up to about $118,000/year, including system income. Quixtar reported for 1994-1995, that the average Founders Emerald had about $88,000/year in Amway gross income (no system income included). The Kosage's reported Amway derived income of about $72,000/year. It appears that about 50% of their income came from the system side of the business.

In the Declaration by Joni England Rebecca's mother confirms the incident with the kicking in the front yard. She also mentioned:

"He claimed that Rebecca's body became his property when they got married and that she
was to give him sex on demand, whenever and however he wanted. I began to explain
my own philosophies about "ownership" of one's body, but he started pulling out
random Bible verses and quoting Amway speakers out of context to prove his point"

"On many occasions, I heard Dean refusing to allow Rebecca to leave the bedroom upstairs.
I removed Teagan from these scenarios Dean's voice and language was so vulgar
it was inappropriate for her to be exposed to it."

Police Reports and Statements

Other documents include reply declaration by Rebecca Kosage to Dean's rebuttal.

"An loss of business income due to missed speaking engagement has come directly as a result of Dean's actions. He would rather I keep quiet about the domestic violence and abuse I've endured in order to 'save face' and be able to continue to represent Worldwide, with its emphasis on family values".

"Dean has been pulled from the speaking list, and I was taken off with him."

"Dean wants nothing more than to have a 'gag order'
protecting his reputation in his business contacts".

Other documents include the reply declaration by Dean Kosage

More about the business numbers to come later......