Ousted Men's Wearhouse Founder Fires Back in Open Letter George Zimmer, founder and former executive chairman of the men's clothing retailer, makes his side of the story public.

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Men's Wearhouse

The fight between Men's Wearhouse, a retailing giant that made its fortune selling men's suits, and its founder has been anything but buttoned up. After the executive board ousted George Zimmer last week, things have gotten nasty.

Zimmer, the entrepreneur who founded Men's Wearhouse in 1973 and led the clothier to become a multibillion dollar company with 1,143 stores, released a public letter confronting the board of directors on his abrupt termination.

In the letter, Zimmer says the board is attempting to portray him as "an obstinate former CEO, determined to regain absolute control by pushing a going private transaction for my own personal benefit and ego. Nothing could be further from the truth." Zimmer says the current board rejected his ideas and "took steps to marginalize and then silence" him.

Related: Groupon Founder Andrew Mason Out as CEO

The board of directors of the Houston-based chain released its reasoning for letting Zimmer go earlier this week in a sharply worded statement that accused the founder of having "difficulty accepting the fact that Men's Wearhouse is a public company." It said he was advocating for decisions that would not be in the best interests of all of the shareholders. The board said Zimmer "refused to support the team unless they acquiesced to his demands" and that he "expected veto power over significant corporate decisions."

While Zimmer's letter was hostile toward the board, it also expressed gratitude toward his former employees. He thanked them for their work and urged them not to be distracted by the executive fight. "Stay focused on serving your customers and maintaining your jobs," says Zimmer. This is Men's Wearhouse's 40th year in business.

Related: 5 Influential CEOs Weigh in What Makes a Good Leader

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Growing a Business

Entrepreneurs Should Invest in Service, Not Just Sales — Here's How to Build a Customer-First Business

A customer-first business strategy that prioritizes exceptional service, empowers employees and leverages feedback can transform satisfied customers into loyal advocates, driving sustainable, long-term growth.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'More Soul-Crushing Than Ever': Popular Hiring Platform Finds Around 20% of Its Postings Were 'Ghost Jobs'

Is that job listing too good to be true? There's a one-in-five chance that it might be.

Growing a Business

5 Risk-Taking Lessons From Founders Who Bet Big and Won

Discover the bold moves and strategic risks that catapulted these entrepreneurs to success. Learn how their fearless decisions can inspire your own path to growth.

Business News

'Masculine Energy Is Good': Mark Zuckerberg Tells Joe Rogan He Thinks Companies Need More Aggression

On the most recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said corporate culture has become "neutered."