Biography & Early Wealth Journey

James Jebbia (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Fans of the brand are lamenting the sale to VF, even though Jebbia assured them that Supreme will stay true to its "unique culture and independence." With his background in skate culture through Stussy and Supreme, I'd take his word that Supreme will be a unique part of the VF empire.

Supreme's sales strategy is a bit different from traditional retail chains that try to sell as much product as possible. Supreme has built its reputation and cult following on word-of-mouth and limited release products. A Supreme t-shirt or hoodie typically sells out immediately. But no worries! You can find it on eBay shortly thereafter for $1,000 or more. More than 60% of Supreme's $500 million in revenue comes from online orders. The company has 12 brick and mortar stores in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, London, and Japan. It has battled knockoffs. At one point, the company sued an Italian man who was selling t-shirts and hoodies with Supreme's logo. The company succeeded in shutting him down in Italy. Supreme owns trademarks for its logo in Europe and China as well as the United States.

Primary Income Streams & Multi-Million Contracts

Back in 2017, Supreme sold a 50% stake to Carlyle for $500 million, giving it a valuation of $1 billion. With the sale to VF, Carlyle made double its investment in Supreme.

Supreme could bring in $500 in revenue in 2022, according to VF. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2020. Jebbia could receive part of the purchase price in VF equity over time.