Founder Profile
Ralph Lauren
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Ralph Lauren?
Ralph Lauren is a founder of Ralph Lauren Corporation, which was founded in 1967.
- Company founded
- Ralph Lauren Corporation
- Founded
- 1967
Background
Lauren served in the US Army and worked as a sales assistant at Brooks Brothers before designing his own neckties.
Founding Story
Ralph Lauren (born Ralph Lifshitz in 1939) started his career making wide neckties out of a small drawer in the Empire State Building. In 1967, he launched the Polo label, expanding into menswear and eventually building a globally recognized lifestyle brand. He served as the company's CEO for nearly five decades, dictating its creative and corporate direction until stepping down in 2015, while remaining Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer.
Education: City University of New York; DeWitt Clinton High School; Baruch College. Ralph Lauren was born in 1939.