Who is Estée Lauder’s great-granddaughter, Danielle Lauder? The billionaire heiress is an actress and model, hangs with Karlie Kloss and Kendall Jenner, and started her own make-up collection, Act IV | South China Morning Post
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Who is Estée Lauder’s great-granddaughter, Danielle Lauder? The billionaire heiress is an actress and model, hangs with Karlie Kloss and Kendall Jenner, and started her own make-up collection, Act IV

Here’s what you need to know about Estée Lauder’s great-granddaughter, Danielle Lauder. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

Estée Lauder is one of the biggest beauty empires in the world, worth nearly US$90 billion, according to Macro Trends. The cosmetics giant was founded in 1946 by Estée Lauder and her husband in New York. According to the company website, Lauder initially grew the brand through luxury department stores but made her smartest business decisions by acquiring new brands to attract different customer segments. Estée Lauder’s portfolio today includes Bobbi Brown, Jo Malone, Tom Ford Beauty, Clinique and many more.

Estée Lauder and Mr and Mrs Leonard Lauder in New York, in 1987. Photo: Getty Images

Estée died in 2004, leaving its legacy in her family’s capable hands. In fact, the Lauder household is now America’s fifth-richest family with a combined net worth of US$40 billion, per Celebrity Net Worth.

Danielle is a fourth-generation Lauder. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

But what do you know about Danielle Lauder, 29, Estée’s great-granddaughter who’s remained relatively low-key, until recently?

She was born into a beauty empire

Danielle Lauder’s father is Estée Lauder’s grandson. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

Danielle was born in 1993, in New York, to William Lauder, executive chairman of the Estée Lauder Companies, and his wife Karen. William is the son of 89-year-old Leonard, whose mother was Estée, making Danielle the great-granddaughter of the company’s founder.

How Ariana Grande made her US$220 million net worth before turning 30

Danielle Lauder likely grew up in New York, but currently lives in Los Angeles. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

It’s not clear which of their mansions she grew up in. According to Guest of a Guest, Danielle hails from New York, so perhaps she lived in the Park Avenue co-op cited by Forbes in her father’s property portfolio, which also includes homes in Aspen, Colorado and Westchester County. Danielle currently lives in Los Angeles, per Guest of a Guest.

Danielle and her father William Lauder. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

According to Huffington Post, her parents divorced in 2010, and then her father found himself embroiled in a scandal over an alleged secret love child. According to Don’t Die Wondering, he had allegedly paid a lover US$1 million a year to keep the identity of the baby’s father quiet, but he was later exposed.

She’s a budding actress

Danielle Lauder has succeeded in making a career in showbiz where her great-grandmother, Estée, failed. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

Estée Lauder once said she “dreamed of being an actress”. Although her great-grandmother ended up pursuing the entrepreneurial route, Danielle seems to have found her calling in showbiz. “I knew I wanted to study film and theatre, so when it came time to apply, it seemed like the right choice,” she said in an interview on Estée Lauder’s website.

Danielle Lauder striking a pose in front of a teetering champagne tower. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

After pursuing her dreams and graduating from Northwestern University, she made her acting debut with Ride in 2014, and has since starred in The Stanford Prison Experiment and The Charnel House. In 2022, she added The Hater and Tales from Middleton High to her resume, and has a new film, Bandwagoners in post-production. Danielle’s favourite actors include Meryl Streep, Laura Linney, Natalie Portman and Emma Watson.

Meet L’Oréal heir Jean-Victor Meyers, son of the world’s richest woman

She walked NYFW with Tiffany Trump

Danielle Lauder hangs with the likes of Estée Lauder ambassador Karlie Kloss. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram
In 2016, Lauder made her modelling debut with Just Drew at New York Fashion Week alongside Tiffany Trump, Abigail Breslin and Kyra Kennedy. “It was so nerve-racking and I’ve never done anything like that before,” she said. “But once I walked down the runway, I felt a rush,” she told The Daily Northwestern.
Danielle Lauder with Kendall Jenner. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram
She’s also well-acquainted with Estée Lauder ambassadors and supermodels Kendall Jenner and Karlie Kloss, and takes pics with Sofia Richie.
Danielle Lauder attends plenty of fashion industry events, from shows to dinners, and is seen here with her father, William Lauder, and Karlie Kloss. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

A quick glance at Lauder’s Instagram page shows the blonde beauty attending numerous red carpets too.

Lauder and clear: Danielle signals her love for Kylie Cosmetics. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

Apparently she’s a Kylie Cosmetics fan too. In 2020, she captioned her post with a Kylie Skin goodie bag, thanking Kylie and Kris Jenner for “having me and all the goodies”.

She started her own make-up collection

Danielle Lauder now has her own make-up brand, Act IV. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

The apple clearly doesn’t fall far from the tree …

Showing off the family business, Danielle Lauder’s own brand, Act IV, on display at Nordstrom. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

In 2020, Lauder followed her family destiny by launching her own make-up brand Act IV by Danielle Lauder. “It references myself as an actress and my love for Hollywood and glamour, as well as the fact I’m a fourth generation Lauder family member,” she told Vogue. The limited-edition collection was sold online and at Nordstrom next to her cousin Aerin’s brand, which also offers beauty products, as seen on the actress’ Instagram.

Supermodel sisters: Gigi and Bella Hadid’s 10 best matching fashion looks

Her stringent beauty regime

Danielle Lauder is unsurprisingly careful to have a complete skincare routine. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

Only makes sense that a beauty heiress has the perfect skincare routine, right?

Lauder has described her vigorous beauty routine in interviews. In a conversation with Violet Grey, she shared, “I wash my face when I wake up and apply a toner or clarifying lotion,” then, “I use the Act IV Lip Duet Balm to moisturise my lips and pair a rose quartz face roller, and massage my face for about 10-15 minutes.”

Danielle Lauder is stylish indeed. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

“My entire family has stressed the importance of skin care,” she said in an interview on her family business’ website.

Danielle Lauder follows a fitness programme involving a personal trainer, gym work and other sessions. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

She takes care of her body too, saying she loves LA for its diverse fitness options. Lauder works out with her personal trainer twice a week and keeps busy with boxing, rowing and gym on other days.

Danielle Lauder’s Instagram show her getting close in public with an untagged man sparking suggestions she may not be single. Photo: @daniellelauder/Instagram

But is the 29-year-old heiress still single? She’s never confirmed anything in public, but Instagram photos of her cuddling with an untagged man with comments like “cute couple” suggest she may be already off the market.

Want more stories like this? Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.
Fashion
  • Lauder has taken a liking to Hollywood, acting in films like The Hater and the Stanford Prison Experiment, and says her favourite stars are Meryl Streep and Emma Watson
  • She modelled with Tiffany Trump at New York Fashion Week, and has met supermodels like Kendall Jenner and Karlie Kloss – she also supports Kylie Jenner’s lip kit