Adidas CEO Says Kanye West Didn’t Mean His Antisemitic Comments

Adidas broke off its relationship with Kanye West after his antisemitic comments — and lost hundreds of millions in the process — but the company's CEO is now defending Ye. Bjørn Gulden appeared on the In Good Company podcast and had great things to say about the disgraced rapper. “I think Kanye West is one of the most creative people in the world, both in music and what I would call street culture,” Gulden said. He also doesn't think Ye meant any of his repeated comments about Jews. “Very unfortunate, because I don't think he meant what he said, and I don't think he's a bad person,” Gulden said. “It just came across that way, and that meant we lost that business, one of the most successful collabs in history.” (Gulden officially became CEO of Adidas in November of 2022, after the split from West.)