It's nothing to do with MLM. The Masternode operators just get 10% of the mining rewards for the services they provide to the network, namely "instant send" transactions, "dark" mixing and governance through a voting mechanism. More of a Proof-of-Work / Proof-of-Stake hybrid model.
RE: Crypto 101: Episode Next: The DASH Difference- What makes it unique, why everyone talks about it & why it's always a top Crypto