It is a remarkable statement that begins with a strong sentence: "I never wanted to be a businessman," says Yvon Chouinard. The founder of the outdoor brand Patagonia describes how he started out making climbing equipment for himself and his friends and then made the move into the clothing industry. The Patagonia founders saw the impact of the clothing industry on nature early on, and donating 1 percent of sales is part of the company's credo.

Now Chouinard is going a big step further and transferring his company to a newly established foundation and a charitable organization. The 83-year-old wants to dedicate his fortune entirely to environmental protection, with a particular focus on climate change. For Chouinard, going public was not an option because "the current system is based on investors profiting from nature's raw materials".