What started as a glamorous tale of online business success has now turned into a cautionary story for aspiring entrepreneurs. Emma Cunningham, once celebrated as the “dropshipping queen” for her claim of building a seven-figure e-commerce empire, has seen her business collapse amid accusations of ghosting clients and vanishing from social media.
Promises of Passive Income That Didn’t Materialize
Cunningham, 32, from Melbourne, rose to fame by promising clients they could earn “passive income” through dropshipping—selling products without handling inventory.
She offered courses, or “challenges” as she called them, aimed at teaching everyday people how to replicate her supposed success.
But many who paid thousands for these programs say the returns never came.
Some clients reportedly spent as much as $70,000, only to be left disappointed and without refunds.
A Sudden Downfall
Reports indicate that Cunningham’s coaching empire began to unravel around April 2025.
By September 9, her business, My Amazon Empire, had collapsed into liquidation.
Just three years ago, Cunningham proudly claimed she had made $4 million in three years and expected to earn another $2 million in the following financial year.
This success led to her launch of the online education venture in 2022, promising to guide clients in replicating her Amazon business model.
When Dreams Turned into Frustration
Clients describe a very different reality. Jane* and Conner*, for example, invested $15,000 to have Cunningham’s team set up a Shopify store for them.
What started with clear communication quickly deteriorated.
Websites were a mess, responses were slow, and the store never went live.
“We never heard from Emma again,” Jane told Daily Mail. “No update, no apology, she just ghosted us.”
Other clients, including Chloe* and Amanda*, faced similar issues.
Both paid thousands for Cunningham’s three-month course promising $20,000 in turnover, but neither achieved the target.
Refunds were delayed or incomplete, and communication often stalled for weeks at a time.
Some were even forced to take formal disputes to get partial repayment.
Legal Battles and Business Collapse
One client who paid $60,000 took Cunningham to court, where a settlement was agreed but never paid on time.
When the client returned to enforce the settlement, Cunningham failed to appear, and a summary judgment was awarded in favor of the client.
According to Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) documents, Cunningham’s business appeared stable until April, after which its risk status declined sharply, leading to default by September 10.
Cunningham’s Side of the Story
Cunningham now lives in Dubai and has deleted her Instagram account and business website.
She attributes her business collapse to a problematic U.S. supplier and cross-border trade complications that caused losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
She also pointed to personal catastrophes that delayed operations. Cunningham insists that she attempted to refund clients and resolve disputes but faced legal and logistical barriers.
“I think it is only a failure if you don’t learn from it,” Cunningham said in a statement.
She maintains that she has sold products online successfully for years and that her courses reflected her knowledge, despite the setbacks.
Expert Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Financial adviser Helen Baker from Brisbane stresses caution when investing in online courses.
“Ask yourself what the point of this course is.
Is it a side hustle or a full-time job?” she says.
Baker advises thorough research on the instructor, the market, and potential ongoing costs. “The devil is in the details—check the fine print, have everything in writing, and ideally pay with a credit card rather than savings,” she adds.
Lessons Learned
The collapse of My Amazon Empire serves as a stark reminder that promises of easy wealth rarely match reality.
For anyone chasing fast money online, careful planning, due diligence, and realistic expectations remain crucial.
Cunningham’s story may inspire—but it also warns—that not all that glitters in the e-commerce world is gold.