Estée Lauder Companiess announced in a press release that Leonard Lauder is the son of cosmetics entrepreneurs Estée and Joseph H. Lauder, Joseph H.
Lauder was honorary chairman at the company when he died, although he was previously president from 1972 to 1995 and CEO from 1982 to 1999. He served as chairman from 1995 to 2009.
Lauder was the eldest son of Estée, who founded the company in 1946 and helped build it into a behemoth during his decades of working there. according to this New York Timesthe company’s sales increased from $800,000 a year in 1958 to $16 billion in 2021. Lauder’s personal wealth grew to about $11.5 billion during this time, making him one of the 100 richest Americans.
Another passion of Lauder is art. He is a long-time philanthropist in art and has a particularly deep and fruitful relationship with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In 2013, he presented 81 cube paintings, sculptures and collages, including works by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Fernand Léger and Juan Gris. Leonard A. Lauder’s collection is a result of 40 years of collection and is estimated to be worth more than $1 billion.
As Lauder toldNew York Times When donating, “You won’t be able to put together a good collection unless you are focused, disciplined, tenacious, and willing to pay more than you can.”
Even after donating, he continued to support the museum. In fall 2018, Metropolitan gets Gris Still Life Musician’s table (1914) With the help of Lauder. The painting is presented at Christie’s New York. Lauder won a bid of $31.8 million, one of the top lots on sale.
Later, he added five major works to the gift and his philanthropy, helping to establish the museum’s Leonard A. Lauder Center for Modern Art Research, which supported a powerful film screening, lectures, fellowships and research exhibitions.
In a statement at the time, Metropolitan Director Max Hollein praised Lauder’s contribution to the Met’s holdings, saying: “No one better embodies the spirit of dedication that promotes the growth of the Met and the benefits it provides to the public, rather than Leonard A. Lauder.” In response, Lauder said: “I was inspired by previous generations of supporters who put the Met collection among the greatest people in the world.”
Lauder also served as honorary chairman at the Whitney Museum and served as trustee of the museum from 1977 to 2011.
“Over his life, my father worked tirelessly to build and transform the beauty industry, pioneering many innovations, trends and best practices that underpin today’s industry,” his son and Estée Lauder Chairman William P. Lauder said in a statement. “He is the most charitable person I know, considering art and education to belong to everyone and embracing the struggle with diseases such as Alzheimer’s and breast cancer. On top of that, my father is a person who practices kindness with everyone he meets. Of course, our family celebrates his extraordinary life with my family, Estée Lauder Companies, and the countless people he touches.”
Lauder was born in New York City in 1933, where he attended Bronx High School. He later graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and received his graduate degree from Columbia University School of Business.
He appears in 25 consecutive versions Artnews The list of top 200 collectors, ranking each year between 1990 and 2024.
