The Founder Of Patagonia Just Gave His Entire Company To Planet Earth.

So just who is the 83 year old Founder of Patagonia who has now given up his billionaire status to better our planet?

Yvon Chouinard was a pioneering rock climber in California’s Yosemite valley in the 1960s. For some time he lived out of his car and survived on potatoes, dented canned cat tuna and poached ground squirrels. For anyone that has watched the various climbing documentaries that have appeared on our screens in recent years, you will understand that was very much the norm for people dedicated to the pursuit of the climb.

Fast forward to today, and even given his billionaire status which he has just given away, he still drives a beaten up Subaru (the best cars for the outdoors in my bias opinion). He also doesn’t own a cellphone or computer. Needless to say if he did, the attention he would be receiving now via his phone would be overwhelming I’m sure.

Chouinard founded Patagonia 49 years ago in 1973 in Ventura California. This followed on from his original company ‘Chouinard Equipment’ where him and his partner Tom Frost redesigned and improved almost every climbing tool you can think of. By 1970 (5 years later) they were the biggest supplier of climbing hardware in the United States. They were constantly improving their designs to have minimal impact on the environment. But climbing tools weren’t the only piece of outdoor equipment that Yvon was seeking to improve. He sought out alternative apparel and fabrics to what had gone before, always finding room for improvement when it came to comfort and practicability. Soon enough his fellow climbing friends were asking where they could get the clothing he was wearing. Clothing soon became a part of the company and was a great way to support their hardware business. Malinda Chouinard (Yvon’s wife) also recognized Yvon’s vision and helped him source the fabrics he was looking for.

“Patagonia very quickly established itself as an environmentally conscious brand in full support of environmental activism, supporting activists and forming action groups from as early as 1974.”

By 1973 Chouinard Equipment adopted the name Patagonia for its outdoor clothing range and the brand opened its first store. The brand name was inspired from his visits to Patagonia and he considered the name to represent a wondrous and mythical place. Patagonia very quickly established itself as an environmentally conscious brand in full support of environmental activism, supporting activists and forming action groups from as early as 1974.

The famous Patagonia logo was designed in 1975 and is still used on most products today. Over the decades Patagonia has continued to revolutionize the outdoor clothing market, always seeking room for improvement and educating their customers on the best ways to wear their apparel for different adventures. They were also the pioneers of colorful garment designs in the outdoor industry, bringing a breath of fresh air to customers. Patagonia were one of the first brands to recognize the pollution caused by the use of certain fabrics and introduced the use of organic cotton as early as the 90s (an area that a lot of brands are only starting to implement).

But what makes Patagonia and its founder so unique is its dedication to people and the planet. While the announcement this month has made headlines around the world, particularly during a time where the world’s rich only seem to be getting richer, it may come as no surprise to loyal followers of the brand that it’s founder has given away his billionaire status to better the planet. Back in 2013, Chouinard was interviewed by GreenBiz Cofounder Joel Makower where he said he was ‘in the business to try to make change’ and that he ‘wanted to use the business to inspire and implement solutions to the climate crisis and inspire other companies to follow’.

The big question on everyone’s mind is - will other fashion brands follow Chouinard’s lead? While it’s unlikely other fashion brand owners will relinquish their wealthy status, perhaps the actions of the Patagonia founder will inspire leaders in the fashion and product space to take their commitments to climate change more seriously.

Like this article? Sign up to our new newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox once a month.