Chip Wilson, the 71-year-old founder of the activewear giant Lululemon, has filed for divorce from his wife and business partner, Shannon "Summer" Wilson. The couple has been married for 20 years. The legal proceedings were initiated in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in April, with the news surfacing recently.
Sources familiar with the matter indicated that the Wilsons did not have a prenuptial agreement, and the division of their assets remains unclear. Wilson's net worth is estimated at $6.1 billion. He founded Lululemon in 1997, opening the first store in Vancouver in 2000. The company initially focused on yoga apparel.
Wilson's tenure as a public figure has been characterized by a series of controversial statements and public relations challenges. In 2013, he stepped down as chairman of Lululemon after facing criticism over comments regarding the company's yoga pants. He later left the company's board in 2015 but remains its largest individual shareholder with an 8.97 percent stake.
During his time as CEO, Wilson made remarks that drew significant backlash. In a 2004 interview with Canada's National Post Business Magazine, he was quoted as finding it amusing that Japanese people struggled to pronounce the letter 'L' in Lululemon. While he denied making this specific comment in a 2015 New York Times profile, the remark was widely reported.
In a since-deleted blog post from 2009, Wilson discussed birth control, suggesting that the invention of the pill led to an "era of divorces" and the rise of "Power Women" who adopted masculine attire and behaviors. He also controversially linked the prominence of breast cancer in the 1990s to "cigarette-smoking Power Women" who were on the pill and experiencing work-related stress, before tying these factors to the formation of Lululemon.
In 2013, Wilson faced further outrage when he commented on the quality of Lululemon's leggings during an appearance on Bloomberg TV. He suggested that the sheer fabric issue was due to "some women's bodies just don't actually work for it" and that the problem stemmed from the "rubbing through the thighs." He later issued a video apology, stating, "I’m sad. I’m really sad. I’m sad for the repercussions of my actions."
Following these controversies, Wilson stepped down as chairman. He stated in a 2015 interview that Lululemon lost $6 billion in market share as a result of his statements.
Further controversy arose in 2018 with the publication of his book, "Little Black Stretchy Pants." In it, he appeared to suggest a tolerance for child labor, writing, "In Asia, if a kid was not 'school material,' he or she learned a trade and contributed to their family. It was work or starve. I liked the working alternative."
More recently, Wilson has been critical of Lululemon's diversity and inclusion efforts. In a 2024 interview with Forbes, he suggested the company was trying to be "everything to everybody" and losing its brand identity. He recalled a saying from Lululemon's shopping bags: "Coke and Pepsi are the tobacco of the future," explaining he did not want customers who drank those beverages, as he foresaw an obesity epidemic. He advised that successful brands must be selective about their customer base. A spokesperson for Lululemon responded that Wilson's comments do not reflect the company's views and that the company is significantly different from when he was involved.
Wilson currently holds approximately 8.6 percent of Lululemon's shares, valued at nearly $1 billion. His wife holds about a 1 percent stake, worth roughly $100 million. Lululemon's stock has seen a significant decline, falling 17 percent last week, and Heidi O'Neill, former Nike Inc executive, is set to become chief executive on September 8.