Billionaire Jews: Bloomberg, Lauren, and Lauder Top Forbes’ List (it’s not who you think)

‘Tis the season to be ranking, tra la la la la, la la la la.

In keeping track of all the lists currently being released, I came across Forbes’ list of the “20 Most Intriguing Billionaire Heiresses.”

Gracing the list were three lovely young women who (theoretically) could show up in a shul near you. They are: Georgina Bloomberg, daughter of New York Mayor and possible presidential hopeful, Michael Bloomberg; Dylan Lauren, daughter of fashion king Ralph Lauren and owner of Dylan’s Candy Bar; and Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer of Lauder cosmetic fame.

Let’s take a brief look at our budding billionairesses.

A Brief Note on Family Names

• Estee Lauder, grandmother of Aerin, was born Josephine Esther Mentzer. She married Joseph Lauter and they changed their names to Lauder before starting the company
• Ralph Lauren, father of Dylan, was born to Fraydl Kotlar and Frank Lifshitz. His birth name was Ralph Lifshitz (pictured right)
• As you can guess, the Bloomberg name remained the same
  

On a gossipy note, the stories of Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, nee Richard Klein, are often compared as they grew up in the same era, same Bronx neighborhood, and of similar Eastern European Jewish backgrounds. Klein and ex-wife Jayne Centre had one daughter, Marci, who is 33.

Georgina Bloomberg

The young Ms. Bloomberg, 22, is well known for her love of horses. She is the founder of Riders Closet, an organization which collects and distributes used riding gear and equipment to collegiate horse lovers. Bloomberg is seeking a place on the 2008 Olympic team as a championship rider.

Emma, the elder Bloomberg daughter (who did not make the list), earned top honors at Princeton and went on to Harvard to do a joint masters in public policy and business. She was a key player in her father’s mayoral campaign.

Georgina Bloomberg’s net worth is $11.5 billion.

Read more about Bloomberg here and Riders Closet here and here.

BusinessWeek Names Estee Lauder’s Breast Cancer Campaign to Philanthropy Hall of Fame

Among those distinguished entrepreneurs whom BusinessWeek has named to its Philanthropy Hall of Fame, there are two that we can lovingly call our own.

Estee Lauder and Paul Newman are distinguished both for the depth of their generosity and the creativity that they bring to their giving.

This entry will focus on Estee Lauder and Evelyn Lauder’s Pink Ribbon Campaign for Breast Cancer. Please note that Paul Newman’s philanthropy work has raised over $220 million for sick children and breast cancer research.

The Creators

BusinessWeek actually named the Pink Ribbon Campaign itself and not its founders, but here I will profile Estee Lauder (nee Josephine Esther Menzer) and her daughter, Evelyn Lauder, as the creators and greatest proponents of the campaign.

An idea is nothing without a force behind it and the Lauder women should be honored accordingly.

Estee Lauder and Evelyn Lauder: Breast Cancer Awareness

Estee Lauder’s fame sources from her kitchen chemistry as mixing creams in her home is where she first learned the trade.

We know Estee Lauder (z”l, 2004) as the founder and CEO of Estee Lauder Cosmetics, but she was also a force for women’s health and welfare worldwide.

As much as the Lauder name is synonymous with cosmetic giants, the Lauder family’s philanthropy is just as large.

In 1992, Evelyn Lauder, Estee Lauder’s daughter in law and Senior Corporate Vice President of Estee Lauder Companies, Inc. created the Pink Ribbon Campaign to support breast cancer awareness. All company cosmetic and perfume counters were branded with the now ubiquitous pink ribbon and educational brochures were distributed with each purchase.

Fifteen years since the campaign’s launch, over 60 million pink ribbons have been distributed in 50 countries and the campaign has been called, “The most significant and influential campaign ever instituted to educate women worldwide about the need for early detection and treatment of breast cancer.”