// startup autopsy

MusclePharm

The sports nutrition brand that burned through more cash than calories.

founder chaosBankruptcy

Fatal mistake: MusclePharm spent aggressively on celebrity endorsements and expansion without establishing a profitable unit economics base, burning cash until the business collapsed.

Founded	2008
Closed	2023
Country	USA
Sector	Consumer

50%

Key Events Timeline

2008-01

FOUNDING

MusclePharm founded in Denver, Colorado as a sports nutrition company.

2013-08

FUNDING

MusclePharm raises $15.67M and achieves peak revenue, signing major celebrity athlete endorsements.

2015-04

REGULATORY ACTION

SEC investigates MusclePharm over executive compensation and financial reporting irregularities.

2018-06

CEO CHANGE

Multiple executive departures as financial losses mount and board governance deteriorates.

2023-01

SHUTDOWN

MusclePharm files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, ceasing all operations.

Full Analysis

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Documented cause

MusclePharm, a sports nutrition company, faced years of financial mismanagement, executive turnover, SEC investigations, and mounting debt. Despite celebrity athlete endorsements and strong brand recognition, c...

hronic operating losses and governance failures led to its eventual Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing. The company struggled with poor financial controls, leadership instability, and regulatory compliance i

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€54.8M

Peak valuation

HypeCycle · MoatType · ResearchTags

MusclePharm raised €15.67M before musclepharm spent aggressively on celebrity endorsements and expansion without establishing a profitable unit economics base, burning cash until the business collapsed. ended it. See the documented cause, verified lesson and all failure signals.

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Key Events Timeline

Documented cause

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