Chip Wilson

Wilson renewed his public offensive against Lululemon's board and management, nominated his own directors and launched a proxy campaign. The company responded by describing some of his views as "outdated", raising conflicts of interest and revealing, among other things, that he had advised competitors. In May 2026, the parties avoided a contested vote by reaching an agreement: two of his nominees would join the board, and a third director specialising in products and branding would be added.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

During the British Columbia provincial election campaign, Wilson displayed messages attacking the NDP and David Eby outside his residence. Elections BC subsequently imposed an administrative penalty of 600 dollars for failing to register before sponsoring election advertising.

State of the evidence

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Directly implicated

Wilson attacked Lululemon's diversity and inclusion policy and criticised the people selected to represent the brand, arguing, among other things, that not everyone necessarily needed to be a customer. His comments prompted a new wave of criticism, and Lululemon distanced itself from its founder.

State of the evidence

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Attribution

Personally implicated

After stepping down as chairman, Wilson voted against the re-election of two Lululemon directors, including the new chairman, criticising the board's direction. The public governance conflict continued until his departure from the board in 2015.

State of the evidence

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Directly implicated

Following the recall of yoga trousers deemed too transparent, Wilson stated on television that the problem was not only the fabric and that the trousers did not work for certain women's bodies, referring to thigh rubbing. The remarks triggered widespread accusations of body-shaming.

State of the evidence

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Direct responsibility

Lululemon printed the question "Who is John Galt?" on its bags, a central reference to Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, whose influence Wilson acknowledged. The combination of a yoga brand and objectivist/libertarian philosophy prompted customer anger and boycott calls.

State of the evidence

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Directly implicated

In a text associated with his social vision for the company, Wilson suggested links between the rise of contraception, changes in women's roles, divorce and stress, and also linked workplace stress to certain breast cancers. These assertions were strongly criticised for their generalisations about women and weak scientific basis.

State of the evidence

Allegations

Attribution

Personally implicated

Chip Wilson has been widely quoted as explaining that he found it amusing to give the brand a name containing several "L" sounds because many Japanese people found the sound difficult to pronounce. The remark has repeatedly been denounced as a cultural stereotype.

Attribution

Personally implicated