Leonard Lauder, beauty mogul who globalised Estée Lauder, dies at 92

Leonard A. Lauder, the visionary behind the transformation of Estée Lauder Companies from a modest family business into a multi-brand global beauty powerhouse, has died at the age of 92.

A Wharton graduate and former U.S. Navy officer, Lauder joined the company in 1958 and served as president, CEO, and later chairman emeritus.

Under his leadership, the group expanded dramatically, launching Clinique and Aramis, and acquiring businesses such as M·A·C, Bobbi Brown, and Jo Malone London, laying the foundation for today's prestige beauty landscape.

A committed philanthropist, Lauder was instrumental in funding breast cancer research and modern art scholarship, donating his celebrated Cubist art collection to the Met.

Revered within the industry for both his commercial foresight and personal generosity, Lauder leaves behind a lasting legacy that reshaped the business of beauty.