Lauder, born Josephine Esther Mentzer, sold beauty products she made herself when she was a teenager. Her eponymous brand, which still exists today and is the parent company of other well known cosmetics companies such as Clinique and MAC, was launched in 1946 by Lauder and her husband Joseph. The pair went from making products in the kitchen of the New York City restaurant they converted into a factory to selling out at Saks Fifth Avenue. After more than 50 years in business at the start of the 21st century, Estee Lauder sold 50 percent of beauty products in the U.S.https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/290248