Who was Leonard Lauder? Estée Lauder’s former CEO dies at 92

Leonard Lauder, born March 19, 1933, in New York, was the eldest son of Estee and Joseph Lauder. Leonard attended the Wharton School, where he got a bachelor's degree and went on to obtain an MBA at Columbia Business School.

Subsequently, he became a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. In 1958, he entered the family cosmetics business, where he was involved in everything, from sales to production. Throughout the years, he was promoted up the ranks.

He joined the office as President in 1972 and as CEO between 1982 and 1999. He assumed the position of Chairman Emeritus in 2009. Leonard Lauder died at the age of 92 years on June 14, 2025, surrounded by his family.

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Foundations in Science and Business

Leonard Lauder grew up seeing his mother combining creams and lotions back at home. This interested him in creating new varieties of products. When attending the Bronx High School of Science, he learned how to solve problems, and this can be said to have aided him in decision-making later in life in his career.

He attended Wharton, where he did a Finance and management course, and later obtained an MBA at Columbia, where he enhanced his strategic thinking skills. His time in the Navy taught him leadership qualities, how to collaborate, and how to discipline oneself. His logical manner of thinking and mindset, backed by a scientific approach along with these experiences, contributed a lot to these milestones in his corporate history when he re-joined Estee Lauder Companies in 1958.

Transforming a Family Brand into a Global Company

When Leonard Lauder became President in 1972, Estée Lauder sold fewer than a dozen products, primarily in U.S. department stores. Starting in 1982 as CEO, he pushed for research and development. He set up the company’s first lab to focus on testing and improving new formulas. By 1995, Leonard Lauder guided the company through its first public offering to raise funds for growth.

During his leadership, the company made key purchases like Clinique, MAC, and La Mer, which are still major brands in the beauty world. He expanded their reach by opening offices across Europe and Asia, getting products into over 150 countries by the time he stepped down.

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Leonard Lauder's Commitment to Medical Research and the Arts

Leonard Lauder's philanthropic efforts matched his corporate vision. In 1998, he co‑founded the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation to accelerate treatments for a disease affecting millions. He also supported the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, inspired by his first wife Evelyn’s advocacy.

A lifelong art enthusiast, he amassed an extraordinary Cubist collection. In 2013, he gifted roughly 81 works by Picasso, Braque, Gris, and Léger to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the largest donations in the museum’s history. His endowments further bolstered the Whitney Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Personal Life and Values

Leonard Lauder married Evelyn Hausner in 1959, and they raised two sons, William and Gary, together. Evelyn’s passing in 2011 from ovarian cancer deepened his resolve to fund medical research.

In 2015, he married Judy Ellis Glickman, sharing with her a dedication to community and culture. Colleagues remember him as a mentor who called himself “Chief Teaching Officer,” always eager to share knowledge. His guiding principle was that the company’s greatest asset was its people, and he treated employees with respect and warmth.

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Leonard Lauder had forever made a legacy for himself in the corporate world. The expansion of the Estee Lauder Companies in various parts of the world continues on the good foundation that he laid down based on innovation and scientific solutions.

He contributed greatly to Alzheimer's research and was a loyal advocate of the arts that leaving an untold impact in the two fields. He had a wife, Judy, together with their sons William and Gary, and grandchildren who still uphold his memory.

It will make people remember him not only due to the success that he achieved in business, but also because he lived his life trying to find solutions for others. The combination of wisdom and a good heart described in a success story by Leonard Lauder has proven to be a model that can be emulated in the future.

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