Coty

About Coty

In 1904, a French perfumer named François Coty founded his namesake company in Paris with a revolutionary idea: to make fine fragrance accessible beyond the ultra-wealthy. He launched his first scent, La Rose Jacqueminot, and quickly distinguished his brand by collaborating with designer René Lalique on elegant, yet mass-produced, bottles. This combination of quality and accessibility was a new concept, allowing Coty to build an international presence in cities like New York and London by the early 1910s. After decades of operating as a family-controlled business, the company went through several ownership changes, eventually being acquired by Joh. A. Benckiser (now JAB Holding Company) in 1992. This marked a new era of expansion. Coty went public on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2013, in what was then the largest U.S. IPO for a consumer products company. A truly transformative event occurred in 2016 when Coty completed a merger with Procter & Gamble's specialty beauty business for $12.5 billion. This massive deal added 41 iconic brands like CoverGirl, Max Factor, and Wella to its portfolio, instantly making Coty the third-largest beauty company in the world. The acquisition solidified its position as a global leader in fragrance and a major competitor in color cosmetics and hair care.