Billionaire Lululemon founder Chip Wilson is facing a potentially costly divorce settlement due to the absence of a prenuptial agreement. Experts suggest that marital gains could be subject to a 50-50 split, potentially impacting his estimated $6.1 billion fortune.
Chip Wilson, 71, and Shannon “Summer” Wilson, 52, married in 2002. Their divorce proceedings are currently underway in British Columbia, with a family-law case opened in April in the province’s Supreme Court. While the specifics of the case remain sealed, legal professionals anticipate significant financial implications.
“In British Columbia, the value of assets brought into the marriage is not shareable, but the gain is called family property and presumptively divided 50-50,” Lorne MacLean KC, founder of Vancouver-based MacLean Law, told The Post. He added that without a prenup, Summer Wilson is entitled to 50% of the family property, defined as all property owned by a spouse.
However, Chip Wilson may be able to retain the value of assets he possessed before the marriage, provided he can prove their initial value. “The increase in value from the time he brought the property into the relationship is shared equally by the parties based on current values,” explained Vancouver divorce attorney Georgialee Lang.
This distinction is significant as Wilson founded Lululemon in 1998, four years prior to his marriage. Forbes estimates his net worth at $4.9 billion, while the Bloomberg Billionaires Index places it at $6.1 billion. The sealed nature of the court proceedings makes it unclear which assets are being claimed as family property or their valuations.
Wilson's assets include a substantial stake in Amer Sports, which owns brands like Arc'teryx and Salomon, and considerable real estate investments. He also maintains a significant, though reduced, ownership interest in Lululemon through family entities, with recent filings indicating control of roughly 8.7% of the company's shares, valued at just under $1 billion.
Summer Wilson played a role in the company's early days as Lululemon’s founding lead designer. The couple also co-founded their family office, House of Wilson, and established the Wilson 5 Foundation in 2012. Summer Wilson holds a directly disclosed Lululemon share position worth approximately $27 million, with additional shares held through the Wilson 5 Foundation.
Beyond the division of marital property, MacLean noted that spousal support in Canada can be substantial in high-net-worth cases, adding another layer to Wilson's potential financial exposure. Representatives for House of Wilson and Lululemon have been contacted for comment.