The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
Hungary → USA
Agriculture, Food & Consumer Goods
Summary
Estée Lauder was born Josephine Esther Mentzer in Queens, New York, in 1908, to Rose Schotz Rosenthal Mentzer, a Hungarian-Jewish immigrant, and Max Mentzer, a Czech-Jewish immigrant. Her chemist uncle, John Schotz, taught her to make face creams from his Brooklyn kitchen formulations. In 1946 she and her husband Joseph Lauder founded the company with four products. Her insistence on free samples — the “Tell a Woman” strategy — and on staffing prestige department-store counters built one of the largest beauty companies in the world. The Lauder family retains controlling ownership through a dual-class share structure.
European Contribution
Central European apothecary and cosmetic traditions, brought to America by the chemist uncle who taught Estée the craft.
American Impact
Built the prestige American beauty industry; created the modern in-store cosmetics counter and gift-with-purchase model.
Timeline Highlights
- 1908 Estée Lauder born in Queens, New York
- 1946 Founds the company with Joseph Lauder
- 1953 Launches Youth-Dew bath oil
- 1995 Initial public offering on NYSE
- Present Family retains controlling ownership