Eugène Schueller

Eugène Paul Louis Schueller
Eugène Paul Louis Schueller
Born	Template:Birth date; Paris, France
Died	August 23, 1957 (aged 76)
Occupation(s)	Chemist, Businessman
Known for	Founder of L'Oréal

Eugène Paul Louis Schueller (born 20 March 1881, died 23 August 1957) was a French chemist and business pioneer who established L'Oréal, a worldwide frontrunner in the cosmetics and beauty sectors.

Establishment of L'Oréal

Originating from an Alsatian background, Schueller completed his studies in 1904 at the Institut de Chimie Appliquée de Paris (presently known as Chimie ParisTech) and subsequently served as a laboratory assistant at the Sorbonne. His development of a novel hair dye formula was prompted by a request from a barber, which led him to initiate his own research business.

In 1907, Schueller introduced Oréale, a groundbreaking hair-color product that he produced and marketed to hairdressers in Paris. By 1909, he had established the Société Française de Teintures Inoffensives pour Cheveux, which later evolved into L'Oréal. He implemented concepts of proportional remuneration within his manufacturing operations. The social reforms enacted in 1936 under Léon Blum facilitated increased sales of L'Oréal's sunscreen product (Ambre Solaire), leveraging the growth of leisure travel.

Affiliation with fascism

During the early decades of the 20th century, Schueller provided financial backing and hosted gatherings for La Cagoule, a militant French group with fascist tendencies, antisemitic views, and anti-communist ideology, whose leader founded the Mouvement Social Révolutionnaire (MSR). Under Occupation, the MSR aligned itself with the Vichy government's collaborationist stance toward Nazi Germany.

In his 1941 publication La révolution de l’économie, Schueller conveyed admiration for the vigor and national-socialist principles of Nazi Germany, despite France lacking comparable circumstances.

Following World War II, L'Oréal appointed several former affiliates of this organization to senior management positions, including Jacques Corrèze, who became CEO of its American division. Michael Bar-Zohar's Bitter Scent provides an in-depth examination of this contentious aspect of the company's history.

Family

Schueller's daughter, Liliane Bettencourt, widow of André Bettencourt, had one child, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, who serves as chairwoman of L'Oréal's board. As reported by Bloomberg in January 2022, Françoise ranks as the wealthiest woman worldwide with an estimated net worth of US$94.9 billion. She is married to Jean-Pierre Meyers, whose grandfather was a rabbi murdered at Auschwitz. In 2017, Liliane Bettencourt was recognized as the richest woman globally, with assets valued at approximately $39.5 billion.

Legacy

The headquarters of L'Oréal located in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine bears the name Centre Eugène Schueller.

External links