What is Dov Charney’s Net worth? American Apparel CEO’s fortune explored amid documentary release

Canadian entrepreneur Dov Charney, who rose to fame with the success of his clothing brand American Apparel in the mid-2000s, is reportedly not the ideal business leader one might think him to be. The 56-year-old clothing manufacturer, who was once the founder and CEO of the prominent brand American Apparel, now runs Los Angeles Apparel.

While Dov Charney's American Apparel garnered major attention for its suggestive ad campaigns, it also promoted and actively supported social causes like gay rights and immigration. Charney was fired from the position of CEO in 2014 for multiple legal conflicts, including workplace harassment. The company eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2015. American Apparel was later acquired by Gildan Activewear in 2017.

Dov Charney, who was declared in 2004 Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year, has been exposed in the recently released Netflix documentary Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel, which sheds light on the toxic work culture under his leadership.

According to The Mirror US, despite being accused of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct, Charney continues to be part of the fashion industry. While being the CEO of Los Angeles Apparel, the Canadian entrepreneur has denied all accusations made against him. He is not held liable for any of the alleged crimes and has not been found guilty.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Dov Charney, who was once worth $600 million when he was at the peak of his professional career, now has an estimated net worth of $500 thousand. After American Apparel filed for bankruptcy, Charney reportedly claimed that he was worth less than $100,000.

Former employees of Dov Charney reveal their experience working under him

In the new Netflix documentary, Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel, which dropped on July 1, 2025, Charney's employees at American Apparel have revealed what it was like working under him. They also mentioned a tradition which, according to them, was 'scary' as it was part of their routine conference calls.

In the recently released Netflix documentary, an employee named Carson, who was hired at American Apparel, talked about the conference meetings held by Charney. Carson said:

"If your store was not performing well, the conference call was potentially a very scary time for you. Because you would be at threat of being called out by Dov."

Carson, while coming up with a detailed explanation of what these conference calls were like, revealed:

"There were these different things like Fool of the Week."

Another former employee of American Apparel, named Michelle, shared:

"There was always someone that he'd call, 'Fool of the Week'. You know 'Michelle, you're the fool of the week! Fool of the week, you're f****** me,'"

Trending

She further added:

"I mean it was so mortifying that hundreds and hundreds of people heard that you personally are the Fool of the Week for a multi-million-dollar company."

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback