Breaking News: Brandon Truaxe, the controversial founder of skincare company Deciem, has died - News Paper

In October, Truaxe had been ousted from the company he founded.

Brandon Truaxe, who first made headlines for launching 10 beauty brands at once and most recently made them for being ousted from Deciem, the company he founded, has died. An executive at the company has confirmed the news in an email to Vox.

Acting CEO Nicola Kilner wrote in an email to Deciem’s staff, which Vox has reviewed:

I can’t believe I am typing these words. Brandon has passed away over the weekend. Heartbroken doesn’t come close to how I, and how I know many of you will be feeling.

All offices, warehouses, factories and stores please close today and take the time to cry with sadness, smile at the good times we had, reflect on what his genius built and hug your loved ones that little harder.

We are all in disbelief and shock but I will be in touch again very soon.

I love you all incredibly much, as did he.

It has been a tumultuous year for the company and its controversial founder Brandon Truaxe. Deciem, which is headquartered in Toronto, gained a following and made reportedly upwards of $300 million in sales after launching The Ordinary, a skincare brand whose products cost mostly less than $10. He had crafted much of the company’s messaging personally, calling it the “Abnormal Beauty Company.” He was a quirky and charismatic founder who connected personally with consumers.

In early 2018, however, Truaxe started gaining negative publicity for the company when he started posting bizarre and troubling messages on the company’s Instagram. Estée Lauder, a minority investor in the company, took legal action against Truaxe in October 2018 after he posted on Instagram that the company should immediately be shut down because of “financial crimes” he said had been committed. (There has thus far been no proof publicized that this is the case.) An attorney for the cosmetics giant told a judge that Truaxe “has essentially lit the company on fire,” according to a report by the CBC. The judge ousted Truaxe as CEO, and appointed Nicola Kilner as acting CEO (Kilner previously had been co-CEO, then was fired by Truaxe, but had been recently reinstated at the company). A few days later, a judge issued a restraining order against Truaxe after the founder sent emails to Estée Lauder chairman emeritus Leonard Lauder and other executives that were viewed as threatening. Vox reached out to Estée Lauder for comment.

A December report by Canada’s Financial Post revealed that Truaxe had been hospitalized under suspicion of mental health issues. Truaxe denied having been diagnosed with a mental illness, but did admit to using various drugs.

Truaxe had been posting erratic videos and messages on his personal Instagram page for the last few weeks. His last four posts, from January 19th, were videos alone from his penthouse in Toronto, whose address he publicized. Commenters expressed concern about his stated drinking, as he claimed to be drinking tequila. One wrote, “BE SAFE.”

Truaxe was 40 years old.

We will update this developing story as more information becomes available.

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from Vox - All http://bit.ly/2RHxYwO
Breaking News: Brandon Truaxe, the controversial founder of skincare company Deciem, has died - News Paper