Dennis J "Chip" Wilson was born on 1955 and is a Canadian-American billionaire, businessman and philanthropist, who has founded several retail apparel companies, most notably yoga-inspired athletic apparel company Lululemon Athletica Inc.
25 Facts About Chip Wilson
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In 1979, Chip Wilson founded his first retail apparel company, Westbeach Snowboard Ltd, which sold apparel targeted at the surf, skate, and snowboard markets.
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Chip Wilson sold Westbeach in 1997 and founded Lululemon Athletica Inc in 1998.
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In January 2012, Chip Wilson retired from his executive post as chief innovation and branding officer, but remained chairman of the board of directors.
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In June 2014, Chip Wilson raised concerns that the Lululemon board was not aligned with the core values of product and innovation on which the company was founded, and on which it thrived.
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In June 2016, Chip Wilson published an open letter to shareholders of Lululemon stating that it had "lost its way" and given up market share to Nike and Under Armour, after he was denied the opportunity to speak at the company's annual meetings.
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In 2019, Chip Wilson sold millions of shares while the stock rallied, further reducing his stake in the company.
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Chip Wilson has five sons, two from his first marriage to Nancy.
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Chip Wilson is married to Shannon Wilson, one of the original designers of Lululemon and co-founder of Kit and Ace, along with his son JJ Wilson.
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Chip Wilson was diagnosed with a subtype of muscular dystrophy called facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy at age 32.
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Chip Wilson has donated 100 million Canadian dollars towards research.
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In 2018, Chip Wilson was inducted into the Business Laureates of British Columbia Hall of Fame.
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Chip Wilson is listed on the Forbes World Billionaires List, currently ranked the 574th richest person in the world.
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Chip Wilson is credited by Business Insider and Forbes as being the 8th richest person in Canada.
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Chip Wilson is a partner with Anta Sports, a sportswear company based in Jinjiang China, with whom he purchased Amer Sports after looking to acquire Amer on his own.
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The Chip and Shannon Wilson School of Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University is a $36 million project.
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Chip and Shannon Wilson pledged $12 million to the school with the goal of solidifying the future of BC's technical apparel industry.
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Frequently involved in the funding, acquisition, and donation of public art, Chip Wilson has donated a number of public artworks he has funded.
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Chip Wilson has pledged $8.4 million towards the Pender Harbour Ocean Discovery Station, through his Chip Wilson 5 Foundation, including $7 million towards construction, $1 million towards operating costs, and $400,000 for start-up costs associated with the project.
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Chip Wilson has made controversial remarks in relation to women and people of Asian descent.
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Chip Wilson has often given interviews to media outlets in Canada and abroad.
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Chip Wilson has acted as a contributor to online outlets, including Forbes.
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On November 18,2013, Chip Wilson was the subject of The Colbert Reports "Alpha Dog of the Week"; Stephen Colbert sarcastically criticized Chip Wilson for his views on the influence of birth control and for having said that some women's bodies "just actually don't work" for his company's pants.
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In 2014, it was announced that Chip Wilson would receive an honorary doctorate from Emily Carr University, along with his wife.
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Chip Wilson has often mentioned the influence of Ayn Rand on his businesses and personal philosophy, in particular the novel Atlas Shrugged.