Leonard Lauder, Estée Lauder Heir and Beauty Industry Titan, Dies at 92
New York, NY – june 16, 2025 – leonard Lauder, the visionary businessman who transformed his mother Estée Lauder’s small beauty company into a global powerhouse, has died at the age of 92. The Estée Lauder Companies confirmed his passing, marking the end of an era for the family-founded firm [[2]].
Lauder, who served as head of the company for 60 years since its founding in 1946, remained a senior member of the business until his death. He was instrumental in growing the brand from an $800,000 operation to a $16 billion annual revenue giant [[3]].
Today, the Estée Lauder Companies boasts a portfolio of 30 brands distributed across 150 countries worldwide [[2]]. Remarkably, the company has remained largely family-controlled, with 85% of voting rights still held by the Lauder family [[2]].
Beyond his business acumen,Lauder was a passionate art collector,with a particular fondness for the works of Pablo Picasso [[3]].
In his 2020 memoir, “The Company I Keep: My Life in Beauty,” Lauder revealed his ambition to establish Estée Lauder as “the General Motors of the beauty business,” characterized by a diverse range of brands and a global distribution network
