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Bjørn Gulden, the CEO of Adidas, expressed his disappointment regarding the termination of the company’s partnership with Kanye West due to the rapper’s anti-Semitic comments in October 2022.
In defense of West, Gulden stated, “I believe he may not have intended the gravity of his words.”
To recall, in 2022, West used X (formerly Twitter) to post that he was “going DEFCON 3 against JEWISH PEOPLE.”
He continued, “Some of you have tried to silence me and blacklist anyone who opposes your agenda.”
On Instagram, he shared a screenshot of a conversation with Diddy in which he wrote, “I will use you as an example to demonstrate that no one can threaten or manipulate me.”
Earlier in October 2022, Ye had further incited anger by featuring T-shirts with the slogan “White Lives Matter” in a Yeezy fashion show in Paris.
Following Kanye’s posts, Adidas terminated its creative partnership with him, which had begun in 2015, citing his comments as “unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous, in direct violation of the company’s core values of diversity, inclusion, mutual respect, and fairness.”
In December, Kanye sparked outrage once more by posting an image that combined a swastika with the Star of David on X and praising Adolf Hitler and Nazis during an interview with Infowars host Alex Jones.
“I see some positive aspects in Hitler,” Ye remarked. “Every human being has contributed something valuable, including Hitler…[Nazis] accomplished certain things too.”
He added, “There are aspects of Hitler that I admire.”
Now, in an interview on the Norwegian podcast, “In Good Company,” Gulden discussed the conclusion of Kanye’s partnership with Adidas. It should be noted that this occurred prior to Gulden’s appointment as CEO, which began in January 2023 after he left Puma.
Gulden commented, “I believe Kanye West is one of the most creative individuals globally, both in music and in what I refer to as street culture. He is incredibly innovative and, in collaboration with Adidas, established a highly successful Yeezy line.
However, as creative individuals, he made certain statements that were regrettable, resulting in Adidas terminating the contract and discontinuing the product. It is unfortunate because I do not believe he intended his words as they were interpreted. I do not view him as a malicious person; it simply appeared that way.”
He continued, “This resulted in the loss of a significant business partnership, one of the most successful collaborations in history. It is a source of sadness. Nonetheless, when working with external parties, such situations can arise. It is a part of the business, whether it involves an athlete or an entertainer.”
Following the termination of the partnership with Kanye, Adidas found itself with over £1 billion worth of unsold Yeezy stock.
In May 2023, Gulden announced plans for this stock, revealing that it would be sold, with a substantial portion of the proceeds being donated to organizations combating hate speech. These organizations include the Anti-Defamation League, the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change (run by the family of George Floyd), and the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.
Gulden emphasized, “There is no room in sports or society for any form of hatred, and we remain dedicated to its eradication.”
