Who Is Patagonia Founder Yvon Chouinard?

As far as billionaires who aren’t the absolute worst go, this guy seems pretty cool.

So, Yvon Chouinard is a rock climber, environmentalist, philanthropist, and rich guy who started his career muscling his way up the slopes of big-ass mountains. Eventually, he started making a lil’ business selling pitons, which are spikes that you hammer into rocks to help you climb, out of the back of his car. Eventually, he teamed up with a climber friend and expanded his company into selling lots of pitons, and even started selling other types of climbing equipment as well. Business was good for a while, but eventually, the company had to file for bankruptcy in 1989.

But this isn’t what he’s known for. What he’s really known for is the clothing brand, Patagonia, which he started by reselling rugby shirts in 1970. He realized that people had a thing for rugged clothing, and he grew the company into the internationally recognized brand it is today. And in doing so he made exactly one metric fuckton of money.

But this isn’t what makes him cool.

In 2022, my man decided that he had made enough money from his company, and announced that all the profits from his company would be going into a trust and nonprofit organization committed to fighting climate change.

That’s dope.

Instead of committing to busting up unions and sending penis-shaped rockets into space like another billionaire I know, this guy seems like he’s actually trying to do something useful with his money. And we love that. If he wasn’t already married, I would totally ship him with MacKenzie Scott. In fact, I’m going to go write a fanfic about that relationship right now. AND NO IT WILL NOT BE SMUT.

Alright, there might be a little smut, but only if their dirty talk is just shit-talking Jeff Bezos.

(Featured Image Credit: PETER BOHLER/REDUX)