Starting out in the Bronx with next to nothing, American fashion designer Ralph Lauren has created a global style empire encompassing clothing, accessories, homeware, and so much more.
Ralph Lauren has long been a household name. But did you know that members of the wider family include a Hollywood actor, an arthouse film producer, and what Reuters calls a "female Willy Wonka", who runs the world's largest candy store?
Read on to discover the story of this creative clan and their fantastic fortune. All dollar amounts in US dollars.
Ralph was born on 14 October 1939 to Frieda and Frank Lifshitz, Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from Belarus who had fled to New York for a better life. He grew up in a no-frills, four-room apartment on the Mosholu Parkway in the Bronx's Norwood neighbourhood.
As the youngest of four siblings, Ralph remembers his parents struggling to make ends meet and he often dressed in his older brother Jerry's hand-me-downs. But despite his modest background, or indeed because of it, the future designer always dreamt big.
Ralph arguably inherited his creativity from his father, an artist who mainly made a living by painting houses. But although he developed a love for the glamorous world of Hollywood movies from a young age, Ralph's first passion was sport – especially baseball – rather than fashion.
His sporting interests would serve him very well later on in life.
At the age of 16, Ralph followed his brothers Jerry and George and changed his surname to Lauren after years of being bullied for his family moniker (“London” was reportedly the runner-up). Two years later, ever the ambitious dreamer, he wrote in his high school yearbook that his goal was to become a millionaire.
Around this time, Ralph started developing a strong sense of personal style, dressing in upcycled baggy army surplus clothing, which would later influence his loose-fitting aesthetic and famous khaki designs.
Ralph's fondness for military-style clothing was cemented during his two-year stint in the US Army, beginning in 1962.
Following his discharge, the go-getting 25-year-old – who had no formal fashion training and had dropped out of a business course at Manhattan's Baruch College after two years – landed a job selling ties at venerable Big Apple gentlemen's outfitter Brooks Brothers.
After leaving the army in 1964, he married Ricky Ann Loew-Beer. The couple went on to have three children together.
Ralph then got a job as a wholesale salesman for a tie company called Rivetz, and by this point was designing his own neckwear.
Unlike the drab skinny styles popular at the time in America, Ralph's creations were extra-wide and based on those worn by the stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood he idolised as a kid. He also sought inspiration from the colourful "kipper ties" coming out of Swinging London.
The rookie designer subsequently secured a role at tie manufacturer Beau Brummell and carried on refining his neckwear designs, opting for exquisite fabrics but also using unconventional materials such as offcuts from army surplus clothing.
In 1967, at the age of 28, he persuaded the company president to let him have his own tie line and the Ralph Lauren Corporation was born.
Drawing on his lifelong passion for sports, the new line was branded Polo, evoking a relaxed sporty glamour.
As Ralph has said, a name such as “Basketball” just wouldn't have worked as he wanted it to reflect a certain sophistication: think upper-class English chic repurposed for the leisure-focused American East Coast elite. Preppy perfection.
The ties, which were created and sold out of an office in the Empire State Building, soon began flying off the racks and were sported by fashion-forward Manhattan gentlemen.
Ralph's first big break came when luxury department store Neiman Marcus put in an order for 1,200 of his ties. From then on, he never looked back.
In 1968, buoyed by the breakout success of his tie line, Ralph launched his first full menswear collection. Branded as Polo, he financed it with a $50,000 loan – the equivalent of over $442,000 (£352k) today.
Tapping into the American fashion zeitgeist, which was moving away from stiff formality to a more casual elegance, Ralph incorporated dress shirts and other pieces in sporty fabrics, lending the collection a laid-back yet refined vibe.
While Neiman Marcus provided Ralph with his big break, Bloomingdale's – which had previously eschewed his extra-wide ties – was bowled over by his menswear collection. In 1970, the New York department store signed a deal with Ralph to sell the collection exclusively. Bloomingdale's even gave Ralph his very own in-store boutique, its first-ever boutique dedicated to a single designer.
More firsts followed, with Ralph opening his debut standalone store on Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive in 1971.
Also in 1971, the world-famous Polo Pony emblem debuted. The following year, Ralph started selling his now ubiquitous polo shirt, and also launched his first womenswear collection.
During the 1970s, Ralph bolstered his status as America's most iconic designer by creating costumes for two seminal movies of the decade: 1974's The Great Gatsby (pictured) and 1977's Annie Hall.
In 1978, Ralph branched out into fragrance with the launch of women's perfume Lauren and men's cologne Polo for Men. It was the first time a designer had introduced different fragrances for men and women simultaneously.
Ralph started incorporating classic Americana into his designs, inspired by the archetypal cowboy and fabrics inspired by those traditionally worn by the Navajo people from the Southwest.
The 1980s saw the launch of the first Ralph Lauren boutique outside of the US. Located on London's prestigious New Bond Street, the store heralded the fashion empire's international expansion.
Later on in the decade, Ralph launched his homeware collection. He also opened his flagship New York City store in the Rhinelander mansion on the corner of Madison Avenue and East 72nd Street.
By the mid-1980s, Ralph was firmly established as America's foremost designer, and in 1986 he appeared on the cover of Time magazine.
The success of his fashion empire had made the designer a very rich man. The same year, Ralph made his first appearance on Forbes' annual list of the 400 wealthiest Americans, with an estimated net worth of $300 million. That's the equivalent of over $842 million (£672m) today.
In 1992, Ralph branched out further with the launch of the Polo Sport line, which has been followed by a slew of additional diffusion, sub and higher-end lines. These include the uber-luxe Ralph Lauren Purple Label.
Ralph also set himself up as a couture-driven designer, becoming a popular choice for A-list celebrities out to impress on the red carpet. One of his stand-out creations was this pink taffeta gown worn by Gwyneth Paltrow for the Oscars in 1999, the year she won Best Actress for her performance in Shakespeare in Love. The dress caused a sensation and is credited with bringing pale pink back into style.
The 1990s turned out to be a seriously lucrative decade for Ralph.
The designer became a billionaire in 1996, as per Forbes' calculations, and took his eponymous company public the following year. Goldman Sachs had bought a 28% stake in Ralph's empire in 1994 for $135 million – the equivalent of over $280 million (£223m) today – and the top investment bank led the 1997 initial public offering (IPO).
In 1999, Ralph's empire expanded further with the opening of his first restaurant, RL in Chicago. This was followed by the launch of branded restaurants and bars in Paris and New York.
In 2000 Polo.com launched. The website was considered a trailblazer thanks to its immersive digital content, live show presentations, and other then-groundbreaking content.
During the 21st century, Ralph's brand has gone from strength to strength. In 2022, the company turned over $6.2 billion (£5bn), up from $2.4 billion (£1.9bn) in 2002.
Highlights of the past 23 years include a collaboration with mass-market retailer JCPenney, Ralph Lauren fashion shows in Milan, and contracts to outfit Wimbledon officials and the US Olympic and Paralympic teams.
Ralph stepped down as company CEO in 2015 but remains its Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, with control of 85% of the voting rights.
He has won a multitude of awards over his illustrious career and has been accorded some incredibly prestigious honours. These range from Coty and Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awards to the key to the City of New York.
His overseas honours include France's Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur and an honorary UK knighthood. Ralph was the first American designer to be bestowed with Britain's highest accolade.
In terms of spending, Ralph has put his enormous fortune to good use over the years.
For starters, the eminent designer has five spectacular homes: a grand apartment in Manhattan; a sprawling ranch in Telluride, Colorado; a tropical retreat in Jamaica; a beach house in Montauk, New York, and a sumptuous English-style mansion in Bedford, New York.
This picture taken in 1977 shows Ralph and his family at their former East Hampton home.
In 1982, Ralph's company was riding high, generating annual revenues of $621 million (£496m). Around this time, the designer splashed out on a duplex apartment at 1107 Fifth Avenue.
Initially designed by the 1980s' go-to interior decorator Angelo Donghia, it was gutted in 2012 and given a minimalist makeover.
The Laurens recently expanded the property by purchasing a $4 million (£3.3m) unit in the elegant 13-storey building.
Reflecting his love of Americana and the Old West, Ralph bagged the major part of his humongous ranch in Telluride, Colorado in 1982.
The Double RL Ranch now spans 17,000 acres and supplies beef to the designer's Chicago and New York restaurants.
Its stunning log living quarters are packed with characterful leather sofas, rocking chairs, and other curated pieces.
Also in 1982, a year when the money was truly rolling in, Ralph acquired an idyllic holiday home in Round Hill, Jamaica called the White Orchid.
He added to the estate in 1996 when he bought a nearby beach house.
As you might expect, the paradise property is impeccably decorated with white sofas, banana-leaf rugs, and chinoiserie mirrors.
In the early 1980s, Ralph – who bought his first home in the Hamptons in the 1970s – added a trophy 5.4-acre Montauk property to his growing real estate portfolio.
The home has expanded over the years. In 2019, the designer dropped $16 million (£12.5m) on this 2,100-square-foot beach house on 2.83 acres that once belonged to playwright Edward Albee.
The designer now boasts 9.94 acres of the most sought-after oceanfront real estate on the planet, as well as an estimated 850 feet of prime private beach.
Ralph's other wow-factor property is his manor in Bedford, New York, which according to real estate broker Redfin was bought in 1988 for $5.5 million (£4.3m).
Of all his homes, the English-style manor arguably most exemplifies the Ralph Lauren brand, with rooms replete with Old World antiques and aristocratic European decoration, all curated with a relaxed East Coast sensibility.
While grand, this makes the interiors wonderfully inviting and homely.
Over the decades, Ralph has amassed one of the world's most breathtaking collections of automobiles.
The outstanding car collection is said to be the most valuable in America, estimated by auto historian John Ficarra to be worth over $600 million (£479m).
Incidentally, the most valuable automobile collection on the planet, which belongs to the Sultan of Brunei, is purported to be worth around $5 billion (£4bn).
Ralph's very expensive hobby is reported to have begun in the 1970s when he purchased his first supercar, a 1971 Mercedes 280SE 4.5 convertible.
Since then, the designer has added numerous jaw-dropping automobiles to the collection, which are housed in a $100 million (£80m) garage complete with a workshop, archive, scale models and other premium features.
Amazingly, the garage served as the venue for this 2017 Ralph Lauren fashion show (pictured).
The collection is thought to include 55 exceedingly rare and desirable cars, but the real figure is likely to be significantly higher.
Highlights include one of only five McLaren F1 LMs in existence, valued at up to $50 million (£40m); the most expensive Ferrari in the world, a 250 GTO worth up to $90 million (£72m), and the collection's most prized vehicle, a 1938 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic – of which only two exist – valued at up to a staggering $150 million (£120m).
In terms of other vehicles in his possession, Ralph reportedly owns Hawker and Gulfstream G650 private jets worth tens of millions of dollars.
Ralph's also been collecting vintage watches for almost four decades, and his array of antique timepieces is likely to be worth many millions of dollars.
According to an interview he gave in 2015 to watch website Hodinkee, Ralph favours mid-century Cartier timepieces in platinum and gold, as well as classic Panerai and IWC watches.
The designer isn't all about splurging on himself, however.
Ralph donated $10 million in 1997 to preserve the flag that inspired America's national anthem. That's the equivalent of $19.2 million (£15.3m) today.
He's also a devoted supporter of cancer care and research, having cofounded Georgetown's Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research, the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care in New York, and the Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research in London, which was opened by Prince William in 2016.
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The matriarch of the family, Ralph's wife of 59 years Ricky (pictured) is an author, artist, photographer, and psychotherapist and worked as a teacher and dancer before meeting Ralph. Perhaps inspired by these talents, the couple founded the Ralph and Ricky Lauren Center for the Performing Arts in New York.
Ricky has long been her husband's muse. Ralph once said: "I didn't like the girl with all the makeup and high heels. I liked the girl in jeans and white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, wearing her boyfriend's jacket. That's the girl I am attracted to. That's the girl I married – Ricky."
Meanwhile, Ralph's brother Jerry (pictured with his daughter Jenny) has been a long-time collaborator with his designer sibling. He acts as Creative Director of Men's Design at Ralph Lauren and is a noted collector of art.
Ralph's other siblings, George and Lenny, keep a low profile and aren't involved in the business.
Ralph's eldest son Andrew (pictured left) was born in 1969. He's a movie producer and actor who's mainly worked on arthouse films, with credits including The Squid and the Whale (2005) and The Spectacular Now (2013).
Back in 2018, Andrew hit headlines after buying a 5,000-square-foot apartment on Fifth Avenue that once belonged to the businesswoman Georgette Mosbacher. The apartment reportedly cost $21 million (£17m), though it's not clear whether Andrew still owns it.
The designer's other son David, born in 1971, studied political science at Duke University. In 2000 he joined the Ralph Lauren Corporation and he now serves as Chief Branding and Innovation Officer, Strategic Advisor to the CEO, and Vice Chairman of the Board at Ralph Lauren.
David – who married Lauren Bush, the granddaughter of former US President George HW Bush, in 2011 – also heads the company's charitable foundation.
Ralph's daughter Dylan was born in 1974. Like her older brother David, Dylan studied at Duke University, graduating with a degree in art history. She's since enjoyed the sweet taste of success as a confectioner extraordinaire.
The so-called "female Willy Wonka", who was actually inspired by Roald Dahl's classic tale, founded Dylan's Candy Bar in Manhattan in 2001.
This emporium of sweet delights bills itself as the world's largest candy store, with over 7,000 confections from around the globe. Dylan's company has grown over the past 22 years to encompass 12 locations across the US.
Other notable members of the Lauren dynasty include Jerry's son and Ralph's nephew Greg.
A Hollywood actor, he's appeared in a number of hit movies, including The Wedding Planner and Boogie Nights.
Greg, who's married to actress Elizabeth Berkley, is also an accomplished artist and boasts his very own fashion brand.
Ralph's niece Jenny Lauren, Greg's sister, has also carved a creative career. She is best known for launching her own jewellery brand, and a 2012 profile about her in the New York Times claims Jenny's handmade designs were picked up by Ralph Lauren after he saw them showcased in an Urban Zen boutique. (The Urban Zen store manager, unaware of Jenny's relation to the Lauren family, apparently offered her a trunk show on the spot after admiring the bespoke necklace she was wearing in the shop).
According to the profile, prices for Jenny's pieces ranged from $350 to $5,000 in 2012.
Jenny has also written a book, 2004's Homesick: A Memoir of Family, Food and Finding Hope, which documented her struggles with an eating disorder.
It's finally time to reveal the dynasty's net worth.
According to Forbes, Ralph has a fortune of $7.6 billion (£6.1bn), which makes him America's richest designer.
As for the other members of the Lauren family? Internet guesstimates vary, but David and Dylan appear to be the wealthiest, with fortunes of $50 million (£40m) apiece. The siblings are followed by their cousin Greg, who is estimated to be worth $10 million (£8.2m).
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