Chip Wilson

Early life

Dennis “Chip” Wilson was born and raised in California until the age of five when his family moved to Calgary, Alberta. In 1973, Wilson relocated to Edmonton to begin university, however transferred to Alaska where he began working on the oil pipeline.

Education

Wilson attended the University of Calgary, graduating in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

Career

Chip Wilson founded his first retail apparel company in 1979 named Westbeach Apparel. This company targeted the snowboard, skateboard, and surfing markets, gaining much traction selling a large range of outdoor clothing and accessories. After selling Westbeach Apparel, Wilson later founded Lululemon Athletica until 2013. After the company lost its way of product development and culture, he stepped down as chairman of the board of directors and sold half his shares to Advent International. Currently, Dennis Wilson is operating a holding company with his wife known as Hold It All, which invests in real estate, apparel, and private equity. Wilson is also working on projects with sporting goods companies such as Amer Sports and Anta Sports, two of the largest activewear brands in China.

Net Worth

As founder of several retail apparel companies, Wilson is currently ranked the 8th richest person in Canada and the 574th richest worldwide. Wilson has an estimated net worth of $6.4 billion according to Forbes Magazine..

Achievement

Dennis Wilson is a notable entrepreneur who has built enormously successful companies. In 2012, Wilson was honored by the University of Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business, named Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2014 Wilson and his wife Shannon Wilson both received honorary doctorates from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, as well as the Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Most recently, in 2018, Wilson was inducted into the Business Laureates Hall of Fame of British Columbia.