Deciem skin care founder Brandon Truaxe dead at 40
Truaxe’s body was found after he leaped 26 floors from the Toronto high rise after he leaped from the balcony of his own apartment, city authorities confirmed.
They confirmed that he had leaped from his 32nd story home in the Distillery District of the city and landed on a sixth floor terrace of the building on Monday morning, January 21st.
The Abnormal Beauty Company
The controversial figure had forged a reputation as an unconventional and groundbreaking innovator in the skin care category, launching the Deciem brand in 2013 around the tagline “The Abnornal Beauty Company”.
The company developed a number of hair and skin care brands, the most recognized being ‘The Ordinary’ brand, which forged its success through sophisticated formulations using ingredients associated with high-end lines, at more affordable prices.
The brand was considered one of the breakthrough lines of the past few years, causing disruption for luxury brands, while creating a cult following with fans that included Kim Kardashian West, and numerous beauty industry awards.
Erratic behavior led to removal from board
Deciem was projected to grow its sales to $300m in 2018 as its expansion led to retail outlets in Canada, the UK, Australia and South Korea.
But the massive success also came with pressure that weighed down hard on the innovator, ultimately leading to his removal at the helm of the company’s board in October of last year.
Executives took the decision to remove Truaxe from the business operation after he took over the company’s social media accounts, posting personal and erratic messages that led to concerns about his health.
New CEO calls Truaxe 'genius'
Minority investor Estée Lauder, which took a stake in the business in 2017, took legal action over Truaxe’s behavior, which had an impact on the final decision to remove him from his post.
Deciem’s acting CEO, Nicola Kilner, who took over the top position after Truaxe’s removal, confirmed his death in an email to staff at the company, in which she wrote:
"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."
