Patagonia welcomes its new major shareholder; Earth

“When you have the opportunity and the ability to do good and you do nothing, that’s evil.” It is one of the famous words of Yvan Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, a global sportswear company. His remarks, which made conservation of nature and employee welfare the top priority, not profit generation, were not empty words. It’s while he actually shows the goodness in action. Chouinard had handed over 100% shares owned by himself, his wife, and two children. The share handed over by the Chouinard family amounts to about $3 billion. 98% of the shares were handed over to non-profit foundations established to combat climate change and the remaining 2% to trust companies. Patagonia’s annual sales of about $1 million will also be donated. The Chouinard family has 0% left. It is said that all procedures have already been completed last month. What a huge donation!

Patagonia is the leading example of a ‘good company’. The company aims to protect nature through business without causing unnecessary harm to the Earth. It is also famous for its philosophy of prioritizing durability and saying, “If you can wear it to a certain extent, don’t buy a new one and just wear what you used to wear.” The money donated by Chouinard will be spent on projects to combat climate change and protect underdeveloped areas across the world. Chouinard also plans to continue wearing a simple shirt and spend the rest of his life driving his hand-stained private car to enjoy hiking. He does not own a computer or a cell phone.