Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard: ‘Denying climate change is evil’
The octogenarian entrepreneur, who prefers gardening to meetings, says capitalism is destroying earth
In his bridge-club cords and grandpa shoes, 80-year-old Yvon Chouinard doesn’t look the rock-star entrepreneur.
And, when he speaks, he doesn’t sound much like one either. The founder of US outdoor apparel brand Patagonia believes stock market valuations are “absurd”, investing in shares is “buying blue sky” – and modern-day capitalism is destroying the planet.
“I’d like to see an end to public corporations because we’re not going to revolutionise them, we’re not going to change them,” the self-confessed reluctant businessman told the Guardian.
It is easy to dismiss such comments as sour grapes or market envy. As a private company (Chouinard remains sole owner), Patagonia lacks or .
