Leonard Lauder, son of Estée Lauder founders and ex-CEO, dies at age 92

Leonard Lauder, the oldest son of the founders of Estée Lauder and former CEO of the beauty empire, has died at 92, the company said in a statement.

Lauder died Saturday surrounded by family, the statement said.

“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, ” said his son, chairman of Estée Lauder’s board of directors William Lauder. “Above all, my father was a man who practiced kindness with everyone he met. His impact was enormous.”

Lauder was born in 1933, the same year that his mother, Estée, founded what eventually became Estée Lauder Companies, a beauty company with over two dozen brands selling products across the globe. Growing up in New York City, Lauder said in his book “The Company I Keep” that he remembers his mother cooking up facial creams on the stove.

“The company and I grew up together, our lives as closely paired as twins. It has always been more than a family company: it was — and continues to be — my family,” he wrote.

In an interview with CBS News’ “Sunday Morning” in 2020, Lauder said the company was always a family business. His dad, Joseph, kept the books, and young Lauder packed boxes of powder and cleansing oil. “

We had a little tiny factory, and I would go there after school for 25 cents an hour and I’d work,” he said.

Kiki Intarasuwan is a news editor for CBS News & Stations.

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