Coty Inc.
Company History
Coty History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1904 in Paris, France
When was Coty founded?
Coty was founded in 1904 in Paris, France by François Coty, making it 122 years old.
- Founded
- 1904
- Founding place
- Paris, France
- Founders
- François Coty
- Headquarters today
- New York City, United States
- Milestones documented
- 12 (1904–2026)
- Current CEO
- Markus Strobel
- Acquisitions
- 5
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1904 | François Coty founds the company in Paris |
| 1917 | Chypre launches |
| 1963 | Pfizer acquires Coty |
| 1992 | Joh. A. Benckiser (JAB) buys Coty |
| 2005 | Unilever Fragrance Business Acquired |
| 2012 | Bid for Avon |
| 2013 | NYSE IPO |
| 2016 | P&G specialty beauty merger |
| 2020 | Kylie Cosmetics stake, Wella sale and new CEO |
| 2023 | Euronext Paris listing |
| 2025 | Wella stake sold and CEO exit announced |
| 2026 | Coty.Curated and early Gucci exit |
- Where was Coty founded?
- Coty was founded in Paris, France in 1904. wikidata.org
- When did Coty start?
- Coty was founded in 1904.
- How old is Coty?
- Coty is 122 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
François Coty, born François Spoturno in Corsica in 1874, studied fragrance in Grasse before launching his first perfume, La Rose Jacqueminot, in Paris in 1904. Company lore says he broke a bottle on a counter at the Grands Magasins du Louvre after buyers turned him down, and shoppers drawn by the scent asked to buy it. He later worked with glass artist René Lalique on bottles and created Chypre (1917), which gave its name to a fragrance family, turning perfume into a packaged product for a broad middle-class market.
Founders
François Coty
François Coty (1874-1934), born Joseph Marie François Spoturno in Ajaccio, Corsica, founded Coty in Paris in 1904. After training in Grasse, he launched La Rose Jacqueminot, then built a business around combining natural essences with newer synthetic materials, pricing fragrance for a wider middle-class audience, and treating the bottle as part of the product. He commissioned bottles from René Lalique, created Chypre in 1917 and L'Aimant in 1927, and expanded into cosmetics, including Air Spun face powder. Coty became one of France's richest men in the 1920s, though his later life was marked by political and financial turmoil. François Coty was born in 1874.
Key Milestones
François Coty founds the company in Paris
François Coty launches La Rose Jacqueminot and opens his Paris perfume business.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgChypre launches
Coty's Chypre gives its name to the chypre fragrance family still used to classify perfumes.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgPfizer acquires Coty
Pharmaceutical company Pfizer buys Coty, owning it for nearly three decades.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgJoh. A. Benckiser (JAB) buys Coty
The Reimann family's Joh. A. Benckiser, now JAB Holding, acquires Coty from Pfizer and begins expanding it through fragrance licenses and acquisitions.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgUnilever Fragrance Business Acquired
Coty bought Unilever Cosmetics International in 2005, adding the Calvin Klein fragrance licence.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgBid for Avon
Coty offered about $10 billion for Avon Products in 2012 and withdrew the bid in May.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgP&G specialty beauty merger
Coty completes its combination with Procter & Gamble's specialty beauty brands, including CoverGirl, Max Factor, Wella, and the Gucci and Hugo Boss fragrance licenses.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgKylie Cosmetics stake, Wella sale and new CEO
Coty closes its $600 million purchase of 51% of Kylie Cosmetics in January, appoints Sue Nabi CEO in September, and sells 60% of its Wella professional and retail hair business to KKR.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgEuronext Paris listing
Coty adds a listing on Euronext Paris, returning to the city where it was founded.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgWella stake sold and CEO exit announced
Coty monetizes its remaining Wella stake for $750 million in December and announces that Sue Nabi will be succeeded by Markus Strobel.
Source: coty.comCoty.Curated and early Gucci exit
Interim CEO Markus Strobel launches the Coty.Curated framework; in July Coty agrees to return the Gucci Beauty license to Kering for $400 million. FY2026 net revenues total $5.81 billion.
Source: coty.comMajor Acquisitions
Kylie Cosmetics (51% stake)
2020Coty agreed in November 2019 to buy 51% of Kylie Jenner's beauty business for $600 million, closing in January 2020, to add a social-media-native brand to its prestige portfolio.
KKW Beauty (20% stake)
2020Coty paid $200 million for 20% of Kim Kardashian's beauty business to expand its celebrity beauty partnerships.
P&G Specialty Beauty
2016Coty combined with Procter & Gamble's specialty beauty business, valued at about $12.5 billion, adding CoverGirl, Max Factor, Wella, and the Gucci and Hugo Boss fragrance licenses.
Clairol
2016Coty Inc. acquired Clairol in 2016.
OPI Products
2010Coty Inc. acquired OPI Products in 2010.
Keep researching Coty
Coty Company History FAQ
What were the major historical eras of Coty from 1904 to 1963?
Founded in 1904 in Paris by François Coty, the company created Chypre in 1917, expanded across the US in the 1920s, invented Airspun powder in 1935, and established global beauty leadership before being acquired by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer in 1963.
How did Joh. A. Benckiser (JAB Holding) build modern Coty in the 1990s?
In 1992, German consumer goods company Joh. A. Benckiser (now JAB Holding) acquired Coty from Pfizer. Led by Peter Harf, Coty acquired Lancaster, Rimmel, and lucrative fragrance licenses (Calvin Klein, Davidoff, Joop!), transforming Coty into a fragrance leader.
When did Coty complete its Initial Public Offering on the New York Stock Exchange?
In June 2013, Coty completed its Initial Public Offering on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'COTY', raising approximately $1.0 billion to accelerate global acquisitions and brand expansions.
What occurred during the landmark 2016 P&G Beauty mega-merger?
In October 2016, Coty completed the $12.5 billion acquisition of 41 beauty brands from Procter & Gamble, transforming Coty into the global #1 fragrance and #3 color cosmetics company overnight while creating multi-year operational integration challenges.
How did Sue Nabi's 2020-2025 tenure change Coty?
Appointed CEO in September 2020, Sue Nabi refocused Coty on prestige fragrance, completed the Wella divestiture, upgraded CoverGirl and cut debt. Sales peaked at $6.12 billion in FY2024; she exited in December 2025 and Markus Strobel became interim CEO on January 1, 2026.
When did Coty list on Euronext Paris?
Coty added a listing on Euronext Paris in 2023, alongside its NYSE listing, reconnecting the company with its 1904 Paris roots.
What happened at Coty in 2026?
In 2026 interim CEO Markus Strobel launched the Coty.Curated framework, began a strategic review of Consumer Beauty, appointed Soraya Benchikh as CFO and agreed to return the Gucci Beauty license to Kering a year early for $400 million.
What are Coty's priorities for fiscal 2027?
Coty calls FY2027 a transition year focused on core prestige franchises (Burberry, BOSS, Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Chloé, Kylie Cosmetics), new Swarovski and Etro fragrances, fewer mass cosmetics launches, fixed-cost cuts and debt reduction.
Who founded Coty?
It was founded in 1904 by François Coty in Paris. He was an absolute pioneer, revolutionizing the beauty industry by mass-producing luxury perfumes in beautiful glass bottles (partnering with René Lalique) to make fragrance affordable for the middle class.
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