Patagonia ownership transfer: Lawyering for 21st century | Heidi J.T. Exner

By Heidi J.T. Exner (September 22, 2022, 1:34 PM EDT) -- The 83-year-old Patagonia founder and ex-billionaire Yvon Chouinard raised eyebrows earlier this month when he proclaimed “Earth is now our only shareholder,” and transferred ownership of his private company to a non-profit and trust. Holdfast Collective now owns 98 per cent of Patagonia’s stock, which constitutes the entirety of its non-voting shares. This means it stands to benefit economically to the tune of an estimated $100 million per annum in profits, paid as dividends. However, this ownership does not afford the non-profit control over Patagonia’s business operations....