Levi Strauss & Co. runs on a dual-class share structure that keeps the founding Haas family firmly in control, even though they don’t own a majority of the company’s economic value. Class A shares trade publicly on the NYSE with one vote each, while Class B shares — held almost entirely by the Haas family and related trusts — carry ten votes apiece. The result: the Haas family controls roughly 99% of total voting power.
Margaret E. Haas alone beneficially owns around 42.6 million shares (about 30% of shares outstanding), with millions more held through the Margaret E. Haas Fund. Michelle Gass, former CEO of Kohl’s, became Levi’s President in January 2023 and was promoted to President and CEO in early 2024, with a stated goal of pushing the company toward $10 billion in revenue by 2030.
Quick Facts
| Company | Levi Strauss & Co. |
|---|---|
| Ticker | NYSE: LEVI |
| Controlling Family | Haas family (~99% voting power via Class B shares) |
| Largest Individual Holder | Margaret E. Haas, ~30% of shares outstanding |
| President & CEO | Michelle Gass (since early 2024) |
| Board Chairman | Robert Eckert |
Ownership History
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 1853 | Levi Strauss & Co. founded in San Francisco |
| 1996 | Haas family takes the company private in a leveraged buyout |
| 2019 | Levi Strauss & Co. returns to public markets via IPO, using a dual-class structure to preserve Haas family control |
| 2023 | Michelle Gass joins as President, arriving from Kohl’s where she served as CEO |
| 2024 | Gass promoted to President and CEO |
| 2026 | Haas family retains roughly 99% of voting control via Class B shares, even as Class A shares trade freely on the open market |
Key Ownership Highlights
- Levi’s dual-class structure is a textbook example of how founding families retain control after going public — the Haas family’s ~99% voting power vastly exceeds their roughly 30% direct economic stake.
- Michelle Gass’s arrival from Kohl’s brought outside retail turnaround experience to a company that had, until recently, been led primarily by longtime Levi’s or Haas-family-aligned executives.
- The 169-year-old company’s revival under family stewardship — after nearly collapsing in the late 1990s and 2000s — is often cited as a case study in patient, long-horizon family ownership.
Related Reading
See also our profile of fellow denim brand Madewell.
FAQ
Who owns Levi’s?
The Haas family controls roughly 99% of voting power through Class B shares, led by Margaret E. Haas, who holds about 30% of shares outstanding.
Who is Levi’s CEO?
Michelle Gass has served as President and CEO since early 2024, having joined the company as President in January 2023 after leading Kohl’s.
