The founder of athleisure company Lululemon has a rare form of muscular dystrophy, and he's spending millions to find a cure before time runs out. Bloomberg details Chip Wilson's story, from becoming an entrepreneur in the outdoor and fitness realm (when he was first diagnosed in the late '80s), to launching the billion-dollar company that sells high-end yoga pants in 1998, and what he's done since he stepped down from leadership at Lululemon after putting a hiking boot in his mouth one too many times. Now 68 and with a net worth of over $7 billion, one of his main focuses has been sinking serious money ($100 million) into experimental research via his Solve FSHD funding body. Wilson took Bloomberg along to experience his experimental regimens, which are overseen by medical professionals he's hired.
During one, a doctor administers painful, 90-minute plasma injections that are distilled from Wilson's blood into inflamed areas along his back and legs (Insider notes this process is commonly used by athletes with arthritic knees). Twice a year, Wilson flies with his doctor to Mexico for stem-cell injections, which he cannot legally receive in the US. Along with those experimental procedures, Wilson is testing out longevity treatments, including the cancer drug rapamycin. While the jury is still out on which treatments may work (and with so many going on at once, if he can nail potential success to a specific one), he is happy to play guinea pig for a cure. "I have the right amount of money at the right time," he says. "And I'm willing to take the risks." Read the full story, which delves into the ethical issues at play when billionaires cherry-pick their own diseases to research. (Or check out other longforms.)
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