Chip Wilson, the 71-year-old founder of athletic apparel company Lululemon, has filed for divorce from his wife of two decades, Shannon "Summer" Wilson, 52. The couple, who did not sign a prenuptial agreement, are facing the division of substantial assets, including significant stakes in Lululemon.
Wilson initiated legal proceedings in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in April. The exact reasons for the separation remain undisclosed, but sources close to the couple have indicated they had spoken with friends about their split. Summer Wilson, who was a founding lead designer and one of the first employees at Lululemon, has also held a stake in the company.
Chip Wilson currently holds approximately 8.6 percent of Lululemon's shares, a holding valued at nearly $1 billion. His wife possesses about a 1 percent stake, estimated to be worth around $100 million.
Wilson departed Lululemon over a decade ago, following a series of controversial public statements. In 2013, he made remarks about the bodies of some customers, suggesting that certain women's thighs caused Lululemon's popular Luon pants to become sheer due to friction. These comments led to the recall of about 17 percent of the company's black Luon pants and a subsequent 17 percent drop in Lululemon's stock. While Wilson later apologized, he resigned from the company's board in 2015.
More recently, in 2024, Wilson expressed to Forbes that Lululemon's advertising of individuals he deemed "unhealthy" or "sickly" was attracting the wrong clientele. He accused the company of diluting its brand by trying to appeal to a mass market, stating that a brand should not aim to be "everything to everybody."
In response to Wilson's past controversial comments, Lululemon issued a statement clarifying that "Chip has not been involved with the company since his resignation from the board in 2015 and we are a very different company today." The company emphasized its commitment to fostering an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming environment.
Lululemon recently announced the appointment of former Nike Inc. executive Heidi O'Neill as its new chief executive, effective Tuesday. The company's stock has seen a significant decline, falling 17 percent in the past week, reaching an eight-year low.