Controversial Lululemon founder Chip Wilson didn't have a prenup — that could cost him half of a $6.1 billion fortune

Here’s what BC’s default property-division rules actually say, why growth matters more than who owned what first and what any couple building a business, a home or an investment portfolio together should do to protect it.

What’s happening in the Wilson divorce

Wilson and Summer married in 2002, four years after he founded Lululemon in Vancouver. A family-law case was filed in April in the BC Supreme Court, though it remains sealed.

Bloomberg reported there is no marriage agreement between the couple. Wilson’s holdings include a roughly 8.7% stake in Lululemon worth close to $1 billion, a roughly $3 billion position in Amer Sports — parent of Arc’teryx and Salomon — and an extensive real estate portfolio that includes one of British Columbia’s most valuable homes.

Why does skipping a marriage agreement cost so much?

Under BC’s Family Law Act, all property either spouse owns at separation is presumed to be split equally, no matter whose name is on it. The same rule applies to common-law partners once they have lived together for two years.

What actually counts as ‘yours’?

Property owned before a relationship began — including a business — is generally excluded from division under BC law. But any increase in that property’s value during the relationship is treated as family property, split 50-50 like everything else. Wilson founded Lululemon before the marriage, so that four-year head start could matter, but two decades of growth on top of it likely will not. Excluded status is not automatic. A spouse claiming an asset is excluded must prove what it was worth before the relationship began — otherwise, the current value can end up being treated as shared property.

What couples should consider doing before getting married

• Sign a marriage or cohabitation agreement before the wedding, not after a business or portfolio takes off
• Get an independent valuation of any business, property or investment account at the start of the relationship, and keep the paperwork
• Revisit the agreement after a major life change, such as a business sale, an inheritance or relocating
• Talk to a family lawyer, not only an estate or business lawyer, since the rules don’t always line up

Wilson’s case will likely take months, if not years, to resolve, and the sealed court file means the final split may never be made public. But the underlying rule isn’t paywalled, and it applies whether the fortune at stake is $6.1 billion or a paid-off house and a small business. A conversation with a family lawyer before assets grow remains far cheaper than the alternative.