Ralph Lauren: Founder of the Ralph Lauren Corporation
Business Owner · Fashion & Apparel
Ralph Lauren grew up in the Bronx, sold neckties and launched The Ralph Lauren Corporation in 1967 with a line of men's ties. He remains executive chairman and chief creative officer.
About Ralph Lauren: Founder of the Ralph Lauren Corporation
Ralph Lauren (born Ralph Lifshitz on October 14, 1939, in the Bronx, New York) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist and billionaire businessman, best known for founding the brand Ralph Lauren, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He stepped down as CEO in September 2015 but remains executive chairman and chief creative officer. As of June 2026 his net worth is estimated at US$15.2 billion. The youngest of four siblings, Lauren was born to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants Frieda and Frank Lifshitz, an artist and house painter, from Pinsk, Belarus. At 16 he and his brother George legally changed the family name from Lifshitz to Lauren because of bullying at school, following their older brother Jerry, who had done so after bullying in the US Air Force. He attended the Manhattan Talmudical Academy, graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1957 and studied business at Baruch College, though he dropped out after two years. He was one of several design leaders raised in the Bronx's Jewish community, alongside Calvin Klein and Robert Denning. Lauren served in the US Army from 1962 to 1964, then worked briefly for Brooks Brothers as a sales assistant before becoming a salesman for the necktie company Rivetz. At 28, while working for tie manufacturer Beau Brummell, he convinced the company president to let him start his own line, and in 1967 he launched The Ralph Lauren Corporation with men's ties. Sources: English Wikipedia (Ralph Lauren, accessed September 2026).
Basic Information
Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Ralph Lauren Corporation
Company Details
Ralph Lauren Corporation
Fashion, Apparel, Luxury