(2 of 2)
As owner of 10% of Revlon's stock, worth nearly $100 million at present, Revson was Revlon's largest shareholder. He was often more difficult to work for than compete against. Whether he was in Revlon's offices in Manhattan's General Motors Building or out entertaining on his 257-ft. yacht, Ultima II, he followed every detail of the business—right down to discouraging pantsuits for women and beards for men at Revlon headquarters. He frequently went against the advice of subordinates, as in 1966, when he bought a small drug company and absorbed it into Revlon as USV Pharmaceuticals. Last year the company's health-care lines accounted for 27% of Revlon's earnings of nearly $50 million.
Cancer Surgery. Thrice married, most recently to Lyn Fisher Sheresky Revson, whom he divorced in 1974, Revson was aware that he was dying after cancer surgery last year and began to look for a successor. The man he chose is Michel Bergerac, 43, former president of ITT-Europe, a capable, urbane Frenchman (and naturalized U.S. citizen) who was lured to Revlon by a $5 million contract and a chance to run his own show. Bergerac plans to work on, among other things, developing greater management depth at Revlon—one detail that never interested Revson.
With Revson's death, only Estée Lauder, whose firm is Revlon's biggest competitor in more expensive lines, remains of the U.S. cosmetics industry pioneers. "The industry will miss him," she said last week. "We need to be kept on our toes." Painted ones, probably, with matching lips and fingertips.