About Yvon Chouinard
- Yvon Chouinard, founder of outdoor clothing and gear retailer Patagonia, gave up his billionaire status after giving the company to a trust and a nonprofit in September 2022.
- Chouinard spelled out the ownership transfer in an open letter on Patagonia's website; the nonprofit, Holdfast Collective, is dedicated to fighting environmental crises and defending nature.
- His apparel business took off in the 1970s when Chouinard imported rugby shirts from England and sold them to climbers.
- Since 1985, Patagonia has set aside 1% of sales to finance grassroots environmental groups in the U.S. and abroad. Revenues hit $800 million in 2017.
- In May 2013 Patagonia launched Tin Shed Ventures which provides seed funding to environmentally and socially responsible start-ups.
Wealth History
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Forbes Lists
#2324
Billionaires (2022)Dropped off in 2023
Personal Stats
- Age
- 85
- Source of Wealth
- Patagonia, Self Made
- Residence
- Ventura, California
- Citizenship
- United States
- Marital Status
- Married
- Children
- 2
Did you know
On Black Friday 2011, Patagonia ran a full-page ad in The New York Times encouraging customers not to buy its products, but to reuse or repair items instead.
An avid climber, Chouinard taught himself blacksmithing in 1957 to make reusable climbing tools that wouldn't pollute the environment.
In Their Own Words
If you want to understand the entrepreneur, study the juvenile delinquent. The delinquent is saying with his actions, "This sucks. I'm going to do my own thing."
Yvon Chouinard
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