The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

Who owns The Estée Lauder Companies?
The Estée Lauder Companies is publicly traded on the NYSE under EL, but the Lauder family retains majority voting control through Class B shares, which carry ten votes per share. William P. Lauder, grandson of founders Estee and Joseph Lauder, serves as Executive Chairman.

Is Estee Lauder publicly traded?
Yes. The Estée Lauder Companies trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol EL. The company went public in 1995 while the Lauder family retained majority voting control.

What brands does Estee Lauder own?
The Estée Lauder Companies owns Estee Lauder, Clinique, MAC, La Mer, Jo Malone London, Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Origins, Tom Ford Beauty, Bumble and bumble, Le Labo, Too Faced, Smashbox, and other prestige beauty brands.

What is the "Beauty Reimagined" strategy?
"Beauty Reimagined" is the strategic plan launched by CEO Stéphane de La Faverie in fiscal 2025 to return The Estée Lauder Companies to positive sales growth and improved operating profitability in fiscal 2026, following two years of revenue declines driven primarily by China travel retail weakness.

Why did Estee Lauder's sales decline?
The primary driver of Estee Lauder's sales decline from 2023 onward was weakness in China travel retail, where Chinese consumers significantly reduced duty-free beauty purchases. The company also faced broader prestige beauty market headwinds in key markets.

Who is Estee Lauder's CEO?
Stéphane de La Faverie became CEO of The Estée Lauder Companies in January 2025, succeeding Fabrizio Freda who had served as CEO since 2009.

Estee Lauder and her husband Joseph Lauder founded the company in 1946 in New York City, initially selling four skincare products developed by Estee's uncle, chemist John Schotz. Estee Lauder built the business through personal selling and innovative marketing, including the practice of offering free samples, which became an industry standard.

The company launched Clinique in 1968, the first dermatologist-guided, allergy-tested cosmetics brand, and expanded internationally through the 1970s and 1980s. The company went public in 1995, listing on the NYSE under EL, while the Lauder family retained majority voting control through a dual-class share structure.

Estee Lauder expanded its brand portfolio through acquisitions: MAC Cosmetics (1994, full acquisition 1998), Bobbi Brown (1995), La Mer (1995), Jo Malone London (1999), Aveda (1997), and Tom Ford Beauty (license agreement, later expanded). The company acquired Too Faced and BECCA Cosmetics in 2016, though BECCA was subsequently discontinued in 2021.

The company faced significant headwinds from 2023 onward due to weakness in China travel retail, which had been a major growth driver. China travel retail sales declined sharply as Chinese consumers reduced duty-free purchases. For fiscal year 2025 (ended June 30, 2025), net sales declined 8% year over year. The company launched its Profit Recovery and Growth Plan (PRGP) in November 2023 and its "Beauty Reimagined" strategy in fiscal 2025 under new CEO Stéphane de La Faverie.