Estée Lauder, born Josephine Esther Mentzer on July 1, 1908, in Queens, New York, was an American businesswoman and the co-founder of Estée Lauder Companies, a global leader in cosmetics and skincare. She developed an early interest in beauty, learning to create skin creams from her uncle, a chemist. In 1946, she and her husband, Joseph Lauder, officially launched their company with just four products. Estée's innovative marketing strategies, such as offering free samples and emphasizing personal customer service, revolutionized the beauty industry. Her company introduced iconic products like Youth-Dew, a bath oil that doubled as a perfume, and expanded globally in the 1960s. Estée Lauder became a household name, and she was the only woman included in Time magazine's 1998 list of the 20 most influential business geniuses of the 20th century. She passed away on April 24, 2004, leaving behind a legacy of elegance, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

Before Estée Lauder became a beauty mogul, she had humble beginnings in Queens, New York, as the daughter of Hungarian and Czech immigrants. Her entrepreneurial journey began when she learned to create skin creams from her uncle, a chemist. She started by selling these homemade creams to friends, family, and local salons, demonstrating her knack for marketing and customer engagement. Estée's early life was marked by determination and a passion for beauty. She worked tirelessly to perfect her products and build relationships with clients, often giving free samples to showcase the quality of her creams. These grassroots efforts laid the foundation for the global cosmetics empire she would later create. Her story is a testament to the power of hard work, innovation, and a personal touch in business.

Estée Lauder made her fortune by co-founding Estée Lauder Companies, a global cosmetics empire, in 1946. She started with just four skincare products, which she marketed through innovative strategies like offering free samples and emphasizing personal customer service. Her breakthrough came with the launch of Youth-Dew, a bath oil that doubled as a perfume, which revolutionized the beauty industry and significantly boosted sales. Over the years, Estée Lauder expanded her brand to include iconic names like Clinique, MAC, and Bobbi Brown, making her company one of the largest in the world. Her wealth primarily came from the success of her company, which remains a leader in the cosmetics and skincare industry to this day. Her entrepreneurial vision and marketing genius were key to building her fortune.