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Patagonia Changes Ownership | Yvon Chouinard gives away his company

As of September 14th, Patagonia’s profit will be used to fight climate change

After nearly 50 years since Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard began his journey in responsible business, the company announced that the Chouinard family has transferred all ownership to two new entities: Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective. But what does this mean in terms of Patagonia’s future? Let us break it down for you.

“Each year the money the company makes after reinvesting in the business will be distributed as a dividend to help fight the crisis”

Ever since the start, Patagonia has been committed to using the company to change the way business is done, thus hoping to influence customers and other businesses and hopefully change the system along the way. But after years of using materials that caused less harm to the environment and donating 1% of their yearly sales towards protecting the planet, the company realised it wasn’t enough to save the planet. What was there to do that they hadn’t done yet?

The first option was to sell Patagonia and donate all the money, but unsure how a new owner would maintain the company values or keep the team of people worldwide employed this option was quickly scrapped.

Another option was to take the company public. However, knowing how capitalism works, even companies with good intentions are under too much pressure to create short-term gain at the expense of long-term vitality and responsibility. The second option quickly became a no go too.

As they realised there weren’t really any good existing solutions, Patagonia decided to create a solution of their own: Instead of extracting value from nature and transforming it into wealth for investors, they’ll use the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source of all wealth, and here’s how it works:

“We can save our planet if we commit to it”

100% of the company’s voting stock has been transferred to the Patagonia Purpose Trust, created to protect the company’s values; and 100% of the nonvoting stock has been given to the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature. The funding will come from Patagonia: Each year the money the company makes after reinvesting in the business will be distributed as a dividend to help fight the crisis.

Quoting Yvon Chouinard himself, “We can save our planet if we commit to it.”

Read the full press release from Patagonia below.

VENTURA, Calif. (September 14, 2022) — Patagonia announced new ownership today, nearly 50 years since founder Yvon Chouinard began his experiment in responsible business. Effective immediately, the Chouinard family has transferred all ownership to two new entities: Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective. Most significantly, every dollar that is not reinvested back into Patagonia will be distributed as dividends to protect the planet.

The Patagonia Purpose Trust now owns all the voting stock of the company (two percent of the total stock) and exists to create a more permanent legal structure to enshrine Patagonia’s purpose and values. It will help ensure that there is never deviation from the intent of the founder and to facilitate what the company continues to do best: demonstrate as a for-profit business that capitalism can work for the planet.

The Holdfast Collective owns all the nonvoting stock (98 percent of the total stock), and it will use every dollar received from Patagonia to protect nature and biodiversity, support thriving communities and fight the environmental crisis. Each year, profits that are not reinvested back into the business will be distributed by Patagonia as a dividend to the Holdfast Collective to help fight the climate crisis. The company projects that it will pay out an annual dividend of roughly $100 million, depending on the health of the business.

“Let my people surf” gets thrown around a lot during an El Nino year. Patagonia corporate headquarters in Ventura, California January 19, 2016.

Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia founder, former owner, and current board member said:

“It’s been a half-century since we began our experiment in responsible business. If we have any hope of a thriving planet 50 years from now, it demands all of us doing all we can with the resources we have. As the business leader I never wanted to be, I am doing my part. Instead of extracting value from nature and transforming it into wealth, we are using the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source. We’re making Earth our only shareholder. I am dead serious about saving this planet.”

Patagonia will remain a B Corp and continue to give one percent of sales each year to grassroots activists. The leadership of the company does not change. Ryan Gellert will continue to serve as CEO and the Chouinard family will continue to sit on Patagonia’s board, along with Kris Tompkins, Dan Emmett, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Charles Conn (chair of the board), and Ryan Gellert. The Chouinard family will also guide the company’s controlling shareholder, the Patagonia Purpose Trust, electing and overseeing Patagonia’s board of directors. They will also guide the philanthropic work performed by the Holdfast Collective. Acting together, Patagonia’s board and the Patagonia Purpose Trust will work for the company’s continued success over the long term while ensuring it stays true to its purpose and values.

Ryan Gellert, CEO of Patagonia and Patagonia board member said:

“Two years ago, the Chouinard family challenged a few of us to develop a new structure with two central goals. They wanted us to both protect the purpose of the business and immediately and perpetually release more funding to fight the environmental crisis. We believe this new structure delivers on both and we hope it will inspire a new way of doing business that puts people and planet first.”

The company shared the news first with its employees in a global town hall event on September 14, 2022. Soon after, the website Patagonia.com was updated to state that Earth is now our only shareholder and to include a letter from founder Yvon Chouinard.

Yvon Chouinard, “The Chief”, models a full rack of hand-made gear at Tahquitz Rock

Additional Quotes from Patagonia Board of Directors

“I first met Yvon when he was around 24 and today, he is almost 84. In all those years, his vision has never wavered. He wanted to do things his own way and on his own terms. And while he is in good health now, he wanted to have a plan in place for the future of the company and the future of the planet. I believe this plan that he and his family helped create is tectonic. It will make the company more competitive and its employees around the world will forever be empowered by purpose.”
—Kristine McDivitt Tompkins

“Every time you read a new scientific report, it’s clear the climate crisis is happening faster than we thought and it’s worse than we thought. The stakes could not be higher. If we want to protect nature and support communities, businesses can’t continue to adhere to the prevailing economic model. Patagonia has been breaking the mold for decades, and now they have shattered it. Now I want to know, which companies will be next to step up?”
—Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

“The current system of capitalism has made its gains at an enormous cost, including increasing inequality and widescale uncompensated environmental damage. The world is literally on fire. Companies that create the next model of capitalism through deep commitment to purpose will attract more investment, better employees, and deeper customer loyalty. They are the future of business if we want to build a better world, and that future starts with what Yvon is doing now.”
—Charles Conn, chair of the board

“As founder of a company that has been in business for nearly 50 years, I’ve seen the positive and negative impact a business can have on its communities and employees. But while we and others do take meaningful steps to mitigate the impact we have on the planet, Patagonia’s new ownership structure introduces a new model that goes far beyond anything that exists today. And it’s true to form for my life-long friend and fellow environmentalist, Yvon Chouinard.”
—Dan Emmett

About Patagonia
We’re in business to save our home planet.

Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia Works (“Patagonia”) is a certified B Corporation based in Ventura, California. A founding member of 1% for the Planet, the company is recognized internationally for its product quality and environmental activism. Its unique ownership structure reflects that Earth is its only shareholder: Profits not reinvested back into the business are paid as dividends to protect the planet.

Patagonia operates its apparel and equipment, food, and related businesses through the following subsidiaries: Patagonia, Inc. (apparel and equipment), Patagonia Provisions (food), Patagonia Media (books, films and multimedia projects), Fletcher Chouinard Designs, Inc. (surfboards), Tin Shed Ventures, LLC (investments), and Worn Wear, Inc. (used and upcycled apparel), and Great Pacific Child Development Center (onsite childcare and development).

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