Coty vs Estée Lauder: Founders, CEOs and History
Coty was founded in 1904 by François Coty and is led by Markus Strobel. Estée Lauder was founded in 1946 by Estée Lauder, Joseph Lauder and is led by Stéphane de La Faverie.
Company facts
Coty
- Founded
- 1904
- Headquarters
- New York City, United States
- Current CEO
- Markus Strobel
- Employees
- 11,350
Estée Lauder
- Founded
- 1946
- Headquarters
- New York, New York
- Current CEO
- Stéphane de La Faverie
- Employees
- 57,000
Founders
Coty
François Coty
François Coty (1874-1934), born Joseph Marie François Spoturno in Ajaccio, Corsica, founded Coty in Paris in 1904.
Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder
The Estée Lauder Companies possesses one of the most well-known, well-known founding stories in the history of American business, rooted in the ambition and effective, aggressive marketing clever of a single woman.
Joseph Lauder
Joseph Lauder co-founded The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. in 1946 with his wife, Estée Lauder, playing a critical role in the company's early operational and financial success.
CEOs and their tenures
Coty
- Peter Harf1992–2025
Chairman
JAB partner involved with Coty since JAB's 1992 purchase, including its license-led expansion and the P&G deal, and served as interim CEO in 2020; retired as chairman at the end of 2025.
Source - Camillo Pane2015–2019
Chief Executive Officer
Led Coty through the P&G specialty beauty merger and its difficult integration.
Source - Sue Nabi2020–2025
Chief Executive Officer
Former L'Oréal executive who led Coty from September 2020 to December 2025, refocusing it on prestige fragrance, launching the Paris listing and reducing debt before sales weakened in FY2025.
Source - Markus Strobel2026–present
Executive Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer
Took over on January 1, 2026, after Sue Nabi's exit and Peter Harf's retirement as chairman. Launched the Coty.Curated framework, directed the Wella stake proceeds toward debt reduction and agreed the early Gucci Beauty exit with Kering.
Source - Soraya Benchikh2026–present
Chief Financial Officer
Former British American Tobacco CFO who succeeded Laurent Mercier as Coty CFO on September 1, 2026.
Source
Estée Lauder
- Estée Lauder1946–1972
Founder and First CEO
Built the brand from four products in 1946 into a global beauty company.
Source - Fabrizio Freda2009–2024
Former President and CEO
Grew sales to a fiscal 2022 peak of $17.7 billion before the China and travel retail downturn reversed much of the gain.
Source - Stéphane de La Faverie2025–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
In his first full fiscal year as CEO, net sales rose 5% to $15.049 billion and adjusted operating margin rose to 11.2%. He previously ran the Estée Lauder brand and other brands as an executive group president.
Source
Timeline: Coty and Estée Lauder side by side
1904Coty
François Coty founds the company in Paris
François Coty launches La Rose Jacqueminot and opens his Paris perfume business.
1917Coty
Chypre launches
Coty's Chypre gives its name to the chypre fragrance family still used to classify perfumes.
1946Estée Lauder
Founding of The Estée Lauder Companies
Estée and Joseph Lauder began selling four skin care products in New York.
1953Estée Lauder
Launch of Youth-Dew
The company launched Youth-Dew, a bath oil that doubled as a perfume and helped turn Estée Lauder into a national fragrance brand.
1963Coty
Pfizer acquires Coty
Pharmaceutical company Pfizer buys Coty, owning it for nearly three decades.
1968Estée Lauder
Launch of Clinique
Clinique launched as an allergy-tested, dermatologist-guided skin care brand.
1982Estée Lauder
Launch of Advanced Night Repair
The company launched Night Repair (later Advanced Night Repair), which became its signature skin care franchise.
1992Coty
Joh. 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.
1995Estée Lauder
IPO on the New York Stock Exchange
The company listed on the NYSE under the ticker EL while the Lauder family kept voting control through Class B shares.
1998Estée Lauder
Acquisition of MAC Cosmetics
Estée Lauder completed its acquisition of MAC Cosmetics, which it had bought in stages from 1994.
2013Coty
NYSE IPO
Coty lists on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker COTY.
2016Coty
P&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.
2020Coty
Kylie 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.
2023Coty
Euronext Paris listing
Coty adds a listing on Euronext Paris, returning to the city where it was founded.
2023Estée Lauder
Tom Ford acquisition closes
Estée Lauder completed its roughly $2.8 billion acquisition of the Tom Ford brand, having licensed Tom Ford Beauty since 2006.
2025Coty
Wella 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.
2025Estée Lauder
Stéphane de La Faverie becomes CEO
De La Faverie became President and CEO on January 1, 2025, succeeding Fabrizio Freda.
2025Estée Lauder
FY2025 sales decline and restructuring reset
Estée Lauder reported $14.326B in fiscal 2025 net sales and expanded its Profit Recovery and Growth Plan.
2026Coty
Coty.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.
2026Estée Lauder
Puig merger talks end
Estée Lauder and Puig confirmed talks on March 23, 2026 and ended them on May 21, 2026 without an agreement.
2026Estée Lauder
Return to sales growth in fiscal 2026
Net sales rose 5% to $15.049 billion with four straight quarters of organic growth; fiscal 2027 guidance calls for 3% to 5% organic growth.
Acquisitions
Coty
- Kylie Cosmetics (51% stake)2020$600M
- KKW Beauty (20% stake)2020$200M
- P&G Specialty Beauty2016$12.5B
Estée Lauder
- DECIEM (The Ordinary)2024Undisclosed
- Tom Ford2023$2.8B
- Have & Be Co. (Dr.Jart+)2019$1.1B
- MAC Cosmetics1998Undisclosed
Questions about Coty vs Estée Lauder
Who is the CEO of Coty Inc. and The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.?
Coty Inc. is led by Markus Strobel and The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is led by Stéphane de La Faverie. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Coty Inc. founded vs The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.?
Coty Inc. was founded in 1904 — 42 years before The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., which was founded in 1946. Coty Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..
How many employees does Coty Inc. have compared to The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.?
Coty Inc. employs approximately 11,350 people, while The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. employs approximately 57,000. The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. has the larger workforce at 57,000 employees, compared to Coty Inc.'s 11,350. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Coty Inc. and The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. headquartered?
Both Coty Inc. and The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Coty Inc. and The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.?
Coty Inc. was founded by François Coty. The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. was founded by Estée Lauder, Joseph Lauder.
Which company has a longer operating history — Coty Inc. or The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.?
Coty Inc. has been operating for approximately 122 years, making it the more established of the two companies. The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. has been in operation for around 80 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Coty vs Estée Lauder overview