Bjørn Gulden, chief executive of Adidas, has lamented the end of the company’s lucrative partnership with Kanye West.

“I don’t think he’s a bad person,” said Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden when speaking about Kanye’s antisemitic comments in October 2022 on a recent podcast.

Gulden reflected on the dissolution of Adidas’ partnership with Ye and shared his opinion on the scandal that caused multiple brands to break up with the rapper.

“Very unfortunate because I don’t think [Kanye] meant what he said,” Gulden weighed in from a third-party perspective, as he only became CEO in November 2022, shortly after Adidas’ split from Kanye.

West wrote on X that he was “going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE … You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda”.

On Instagram, the controversial artist posted a screenshot of a conversation with Diddy, where he wrote: “Ima use you as an example to show the Jewish people that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me.”

Last fall, the German sneaker giant announced it was ending its highly lucrative partnership with Ye and pulling Yeezy products from its shelves after he made a series of widely criticized antisemitic remarks. Foot Locker and Gap soon followed suit and announced they would pull Yeezy products from their stores.