Lululemon founder Chip Wilson is divorcing his wife, Shannon “Summer” Wilson, after more than two decades of marriage, putting the Canadian-American’s multibillion-dollar fortune and nearly $1 billion Lululemon stake under scrutiny.
Messy Divorce
The couple filed a family-law case in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in April. The proceedings are sealed, and details about the couple’s assets and any potential settlement have not been made public. Reports indicate the couple did not have a prenuptial agreement, The New York Post reported.
The 71-year-old Wilson founded Lululemon in 1998, four years before he and Summer married in 2002. He remains one of the company’s largest shareholders, with a May securities filing showing Wilson and entities connected to him holding about 9.9 million shares, or 8.7 percent of Lululemon. That stake is currently worth roughly $1 billion.
Yet even though there was not a prenup, it does not automatically mean Summer Wilson is entitled to half of Wilson’s entire fortune.
Under British Columbia law property owned before a marriage is generally excluded from family property. However, increases in the value of certain assets during the marriage can be subject to equal division.
On top of this, Lululemon went public in 2007, five years after the Wilsons married, making the division of assets more complicated.
The company’s shares fell 17.4 percent to close at $100.61 on Sept. 4 after Lululemon cut its full-year revenue forecast for the third time in 2026. The stock remains more than 50 percent below its 52-week high and roughly 80 percent below its December 2023 record of $511.29, Inc. reported.
Lululemon also lowered its 2026 revenue outlook to approximately $10.35 billion to $10.5 billion, down from its previous forecast of $11.35 billion. The company reported weakness in North America and China, while sales of its signature leggings dropped about 20% during the second quarter.
Wilson’s wealth extends beyond Lululemon. His holdings include a major stake in Amer Sports and substantial real estate, while the Wilsons have been involved in other business ventures together.
Summer Wilson, 52, also has her own business history. She was among Lululemon’s early employees and served as its founding lead designer before later launching Kit and Ace.
The case also comes as Wilson remains a prominent and sometimes controversial leader in the history of Lululemon. Although he left the company’s board years ago and no longer has an operational role, he remains a major shareholder.
Then there is the controversy surrounded. Chip, who has been criticized over remarks that have been characterized as sexist, body-shaming, and racist or exclusionary. Wilson faced backlash over comments about the company’s name and Japanese consumers, as well as his more recent criticism of Lululemon’s diversity and inclusion efforts. In a 2024 Forbes interview, he said the company was trying to become “everything to everybody” and argued that the brand should be clear about not wanting “certain customers coming in.” The remarks drew criticism, with some interpreting them as exclusionary toward customers of color.
There have been various viral social media stories about Black shoppers experiencing poor treatment and/or discrimination at retail locations.
Chip has said he deliberately chose a name with three “L” sounds because Japanese consumers had difficulty pronouncing the letter, and he later described it as funny to watch them try to say it. Critics have characterized the comments as anti-Asian.