If there's one thing everyone loves, it's a good conspiracy theory, especially on Reddit. The recent thread titled "what conspiracy theory do you completely buy into?" spawned thousands of replies, but one in particular gained tons of speed before being deleted from the thread altogether. According to TheNextWeb, an unnamed user commented that popular retailer Mattress Firm is merely a front for a larger money laundering web of money and lies. Their evidence? The close proximity of multiple locations in his local area and the low foot traffic they've seen inside the stores. "They are fucking everywhere and always empty," the post said.
The replies started instantly, both on the thread and in the user's personal messages, prompting them to add the edit "RIP Inbox." Responses poured in from everywhere, with some pretty damning evidence that the allegation might be more than just paranoid musings, since the company's owner is currently embroiled in a "money laundering saga." Other users agreed, explaining they've long held the same assumption but kept it to themselves. Users even started to share Google map screengrabs showing just how close these locations really are—and even took into account the fact that, in general, tons of mattress stores seem to exist within miles of each other.
Thousands of comments deep, the original post in the thread was somehow deleted, and it's unclear as to whether the original poster got rid of it or somewhere else. Shortly after going viral, the company took to Twitter to humorously address the claims, and CEO Ken Murphy decided to release an official statement about the matter.
Speaking with Business Insider, Murphy said the idea that the company is partaking in money laundering or any other illegal activity is "absolutely false," and that the reason there are so many close together is the 2015 acquisition of another mattress retailer, Sleepy's. "Above all, " Murphy's statement reads, "we remain steadfast in our goal to continue to do what we do best—help customers find the perfect mattress and get a better night's sleep."
Sure. That's what they all say.
