Leonard Lauder, the heir of the Estée Lauder cosmetics fortune, died June 14, The Estée Lauder Companies announced in a June 15 press release.
Lauder, 92, served as president of the cosmetics giant from 1972 to 1995 and as Chief Executive Officer from 1982 to 1999.
Lauder was the son of Estée and Joseph Lauder, who founded their company in 1946 in New York City. He officially joined the company in 1958 after studying at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business, the press release stated.
He was named chairman in 1995 and oversaw the launch of brands including Aramis and Clinique and remained involved with The Estée Lauder Companies’ acquisitions strategy until his death, the company said in the press release.
“Leonard was a wonderful brother and a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, colleague, and friend,” Ronald S. Lauder, Chairman of Clinique Laboratories, said of his brother in the press release. “His legacy extends far beyond being the heart of our family. His impact will be felt for generations to come thanks to his tireless philanthropy, advocacy, and creativity in tackling some of the world’s greatest challenges.”
Lauder served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and as a Navy reservist, for which the U.S. Navy Supply Corps Foundation later recognized him with its Distinguished Alumni Award.
Lauder was one of the wealthiest people in the world, with an estimated worth in the 2025 Forbes list of billionaires at $10.1 billion.
Philanthropy included multiple record-breaking donations
Lauder, a graduate of the Bronx School of Science, made multiple notable donations during his life.
In 2020, Lauder made a $125 million donation to the University of Pennsylvania to create a tuition-free program to educate nurse practitioners. The donation was the largest ever made to an American nursing school, according to the press release.
He pledged his 78-piece collection of Cubist art to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2013 – the largest the largest single philanthropic gift in the museum’s history – and later added seven other pieces, according to the press release. In addition to the pledge, he helped establish the Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art at the Met to support a robust program of fellowships, focused exhibitions and public lectures.
“He was the most charitable man I have ever known, believing that art and education belonged to everyone, and championing the fight against diseases such as Alzheimer’s and breast cancer. Above all, my father was a man who practiced kindness with everyone he met,” William P. Lauder, Leonard’s son and Chair of the Board of Directors for the The Estée Lauder Companies, said in the statement.
Lauder served as Honorary Chairman of the board of directors at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the organization his late wife, Evelyn Lauder, founded in 1993 as well as founding and leading the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation with Ronald.
Lauder is survived by his wife, Judy Glickman Lauder, his brother Ronald, his sons William and Gary Lauder, five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren as well as “many stepchildren and step grandchildren,” according to the press release.
Contributing: Palm Beach Daily News – USA TODAY Network
