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Dirtbag Billionaire by David Gelles
Dirtbag Billionaire: How Yvon Chouinard Built Patagonia, Made a Fortune, and Gave It All Away, David Gelles
He had ‘a congenital aversion to authority,’ was arrested for vagrancy, revolutionised mountain climbing, scaling the world’s steepest granite rock faces, surviving one near-death experience to the next. A blacksmith with no college degree, he started making pitons and carabiners in a chicken coop in his parent’s backyard, sold for $1.50, which grew into one of the most successful clothing brands. Patagonia popularized fleece jackets and layering for outdoor activities. His idealism and capitalism clashed. Can you do good and make money? He was devoted to saving the environment, but his products contributed to its degradation. The story of organic cotton is worth the read of the book. “Dirtbag” a term of affection for dirt poor outdoorsmen uninterested in material wealth. Square that with capitalism. Following his moral code, once he had made billions, he struggled with how to give it all away. For business readers, environmentalists, anyone who likes a compelling biography.
— Ray
