One option was to sell Patagonia and donate all the money. But we couldn't be sure a new owner would maintain our values or keep our team of people around the world employed. Another path was to take the company public. What a disaster that would have been. Even public companies with good intentions are under too much pressure to create short-term gain at the expense of long-term vitality and responsibility. Truth be told, there were no good options available. So, we created our own.
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Yvon Chouinard
Founder of Patagonia
United States · b. 1938
Business and finance
About
Founded the outdoor clothing company Patagonia in 1973, having started by forging climbing pitons. In September 2022 he and his family transferred ownership of the company to a trust and a non-profit.
2 answers
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