Dirtbag Billionaire: How Yvon Chouinard Built Patagonia, Made a Fortune, and Gave It All Away

New York Times reporter and author of the New York Times bestseller The Man Who Broke Capitalism, David Gelles's Dirtbag Billionaire is about how Patagonia became a global leader in doing well by doing good and how other companies are adopting its principles.

Yvon Chouinard has forged one of the most extraordinary careers in modern business history. He founded Patagonia in 1973, which quickly became a wildly popular producer of jackets, hats, and fleece vests, with a cultlike following among hardcore alpinists and Wall Street traders alike, and with sales of more than $1 billion a year.

But while Patagonia is by many measures a conventional corporation, it is unlike any other company on the planet. Guided by Chouinard's anti-authoritarian streak and his unwavering commitment to preserving the natural environment, Patagonia has distinguished itself as a singular beacon for socially responsible business, the rare company that can legitimately claim to be doing its damnedest to make the world a better place, while also making a profit. From its early efforts to take exemplary care of its employees, to its extensive work trying to clean up its supply chain, to its controversial environmental activism, Patagonia has set itself apart from its peers in corporate America with one unorthodox decision after another, proving to the world that there is another way to do capitalism.

Chouinard also proved to the world that there was another way to be a philanthropist. In the twilight of his career, he gave away Patagonia, renouncing his wealth and committing all its future profits to efforts to fight the climate crisis.

Dirtbag Billionaire tells the story of Chouinard and Patagonia as they turned the business world on its head. Drawing on extensive interviews and exclusive access with the main subjects, this book will offer new insights into the key moments that informed their priorities, shaped the company, and sent ripples across the corporate world.

Author: David Gelles
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 09/09/2025
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.13lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.83d
ISBN: 9781668032268

About the Author
David Gelles is an award-winning reporter for the New York Times. He currently writes for the climate desk and previously wrote for the business section and was the "Corner Office" columnist. His latest book, The Man Who Broke Capitalism, was a New York Times bestseller. He lives in New York City with his family.