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DIRTBAG BILLIONAIRE: How Yvon Chouinard Built Patagonia, Made a Fortune, and Gave It All Away
Out September 9.
On sale today.
David Gelles
21.8K posts
David Gelles
@dgelles
Climate reporter @NYTimes. Author of forthcoming DIRTBAG BILLIONAIRE and NYT bestseller ‘The Man Who Broke Capitalism.' davidgelles.com
- 🚨EXCLUSIVE: Yvon Chouinard, who founded the outdoor apparel maker Patagonia and became a reluctant billionaire with his unconventional spin on capitalism, has given away the company. All Patagonia’s profits will now be used to fight climate change.🧵
- My mom has been really sick and hasn’t seen her grandchildren in over a year. On Wednesday my daughter and I flew to surprise her for her 75th birthday . . . sound on.
00:00 - Replying to @dgelles“Hopefully this will influence a new form of capitalism that doesn’t end up with a few rich people and a bunch of poor people,” Yvon told me. “We are going to give away the maximum amount of money to people who are actively working on saving this planet.”
- Replying to @dgellesIn a move with no precedent in the business world, Chouinard, along with his family, have forfeited all their shares in Patagonia, a company valued at about $3 billion, renouncing their status as one of the wealthiest families in the US.
- 🌎🔥 Today I asked World Bank president @DavidMalpassWBG if he believed in the scientific consensus that the man made burning of fossil fuels is rapidly and dangerously warming the planet. “I’m not a scientist,” he said. Here’s a thread about the remarkable exchange. 🧵 1/
- Replying to @dgellesDetails of the years-long process, interviews with the board, other executives and more in the exclusive inside story of how Yvon Chouinard decided to give away the store.
- Just landed in Davos and got right to work ordering a Caesar salad and Coke Zero for $60.
- Replying to @dgellesMalpass went on to talk about the Bank’s climate work. But if anyone was looking for the president of the World Bank to acknowledge the scientific consensus on climate change, keep looking. END/
- Replying to @dgellesThen this morning at our @nytclimate event, former VP @algore said of Malpass: “We need to get a new head of the World Bank. This is ridiculous to have a climate denier as the head of the World Bank.” 3/
- I wrote the first real profile of Robert Smith back in 2014. He was barely known then, but with today's announcement that he's paying off the student debt for this year's Morehouse class, he's getting harder and harder to ignore.
- NEW: Pilots facing a malfunctioning MCAS system on a 737 Max would have had less than a minute to intervene before the plane was unrecoverable. Terrifying new details w @jacknicas and @jamesglanz
- Replying to @dgellesThanks for all the love! #VaccinesWork Consider donating to @FeedingAmerica, Franny's favorite charity. secure.feedingamerica.org/site/Donation Be well!
- Replying to @dgellesThe context: Under Malpass, who was appointed by Trump, the World Bank has come under intense criticism - from the UN, Biden admin, experts - for failing to act urgently enough on climate. For example, the Bank is still funding fossil fuel projects. 2/
