Leonard Lauder, the eldest son of Estée Lauder and a billionaire cosmetics executive, died at age 92. He served as chairman emeritus of Estée Lauder Companies, having previously been president and CEO, and grew the company's sales from $800,000 to over $16 billion. A major art philanthropist, in 2013 he donated 81 Cubist works worth over $1 billion to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, including pieces by Picasso, Braque, Léger, and Juan Gris. He also served as chairman emeritus and trustee at the Whitney Museum.
Lauder's death marks the loss of one of the art world's most significant philanthropists and collectors. His $1 billion Cubist collection gift transformed the Met's modern art holdings, and his continued support—including funding the Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art—established a lasting institutional legacy. His 25 consecutive appearances on the ARTnews Top 200 Collectors list underscore his enduring influence on the art market and museum philanthropy.