Myron W. Wentz founded USANA Health Sciences, Inc. in 1992, and served as Chief Executive Officer and still serves as Chairman of the Board of the company.
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Wentz holds a B.Sc. degree in biology from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, a M.Sc. degree in microbiology from the University of North Dakota, and a Ph.D. degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of Utah. [1]
In June 2011 North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, awarded Myron Wentz with an honorary doctor of science degree (D.Sc) for lifetime achievement in the sciences.[2]
In 1974, Wentz launched Gull Laboratories as a one-man operation, and developed the first commercially available test for diagnosing infection with the Epstein-Barr virus. Wentz sold his controlling interests in Gull Laboratories in 1992 and founded USANA Health Sciences.
Dr. Wentz founded Sanoviv Medical Institute, S.A. de C.V. ('Sanoviv'), a health and wellness center located near Rosarito, Mexico. Wentz served as Founder and President of Sanoviv from 1999-2010. In spring 2010, Wentz named Elaine Pace as President.[3][4][5]
In October 2008, North Central College (of Naperville, Illinois) opened the Wentz Concert Hall, named for Myron Wentz.
On April 4, 2007 Wentz was named as a defendant in a class-action lawsuit being brought against his company, USANA, by company shareholders. The suit alleges that USANA presented materially false and misleading information about the company’s financial situation and business practices. Included in the allegations were that USANA’s business model was unsustainable and amounted to a pyramid scheme. The suit cited several allegations from a report released by Barry Minkow and the Fraud Discovery Institute.[6]
This lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice on January 3, 2008 by the Utah state court after USANA filed a motion to dismiss and the plaintiff agreed.[7]
Wentz has been criticized by detractors for having renounced his American citizenship in the mid-nineties, and for now claiming citizenship in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Former USANA CFO, Gilbert Fuller, responded to this criticism by stating Wentz's decision to renounce his US citizenship had nothing to do with the company.[8]
In 2006, Wentz received the Children's Champion Award from Children's Hunger Fund for building the Wentz Medical Centre in Uganda and for supporting CHF's nutritional supplement programs.[9] [4]