Here, we present and characterize the roles of MYC in B-cell lymphoma development in B cells that are primed for MYC-induced lymphoma onset by the over-expression of anti-apoptotic factors (BCL2L1 and BMI1) and that therefore directly and progressively adopt a lymphoma-like phenotype as MYC levels are increased. Here, BMI1 is linked to B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.