EL vs ARES Comparison

Estée Lauder is a leader in the global prestige beauty market, participating across skin care (49% of fiscal 2025 sales), makeup (29%), fragrance (17%), and hair care and others (5%). Top-selling brands include Estée Lauder, Clinique, M.A.C, La Mer, Jo Malone London, Aveda, Bobbi Brown, and Origins. The firm operates in more than 150 countries, generating 31% of revenue from the Americas, 37% from Europe, the Middle East and Africa (including travel retail), and 32% from Asia-Pacific. Estée Lauder sells its products through department stores, travel retail, specialty multibrand beauty stores, brand-dedicated freestanding stores, e-commerce, salons/spas, and perfumeries.

Ares Management is one of the world's largest alternative-asset managers, with $671.3 billion in total assets under management, including $409.9 billion in fee-earning AUM, at the end of June 2026. The company has four main business segments: credit strategies ($440.5 billion in total AUM and $266.1 billion in fee-earning AUM), private equity ($24.5 billion/$13.9 billion), real estate/real assets ($151.2 billion/$88.6 billion), and other alternatives ($55.1 billion/$41.3 billion). The firm primarily serves institutional investors (80% of AUM) and high-net-worth individuals (20%). Ares operates through more than 35 offices in over 15 countries.