Filing Details

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

o

Rule 13d-1(b)

o

Rule 13d-1(c)

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Rule 13d-1(d)

CUSIP No. 518439 10 4

SCHEDULE 13G

1

Names of Reporting Persons
I.R.S. Identification No. of Above Persons (Entities Only):

Richard D. Parsons

2

Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group * (See Instructions)

(a)

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(b)

x

3

SEC Use Only

4

Citizenship or Place of Organization
United States of America

Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned by
Each
Reporting
Person With

5

Sole Voting Power
29,975,879

(see Item 4)

6

Shared Voting Power
4,442

(see Item 4)

7

Sole Dispositive Power
29,975,879

(see Item 4)

8

Shared Dispositive Power
4,442

(see Item 4)

9

Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person
29,980,321

(see Item 4)

10

Check Box if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions)  o

11

Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row 9
11.8%
(see Item 4)

12

Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions)
IN

Item 1(a).

Name of Issuer:
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (the Issuer)

Item 1(b).

Address of Issuers Principal Executive Offices
767 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10153

Item 2(a)

Name of Person Filing:
Richard D. Parsons (the Reporting Person)

Item 2(b)

Address of Principal Business Office or, if none, Residence:
9 West 57th Street, Suite 4700

New York, NY 10019

Item 2(c)

Citizenship:
United States of America

Item 2(d)

Title of Class of Securities:
Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

Item 2(e)

CUSIP Number:
518439104

Item 3.

Not applicable

Item 4.

Ownership

(a)         As of December 31, 2017, the Reporting Person beneficially owned 29,980,321 shares of Class A Common Stock as follows: (i) 4,442 shares of Class A Common Stock held indirectly through The Parsons Family Foundation; (ii) 26,168 shares of Class A Common Stock pursuant to options that were exercisable or become exercisable within 60 days of on December 31, 2017 (and the Reporting Person has no other options to acquire any common stock of the Issuer that will become exercisable within 60 days following December 31, 2017); (iii) 11,196,516 shares of Class B Common Stock as the sole trustee of Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer 2000 Revocable Trust u/a/d April 24, 2000, Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer, as Grantor (the ALZ 2000 Trust); (iv) 17,161,020 shares of Class B Common Stock held indirectly as the sole trustee of the Jane A. Lauder 2003 Revocable Trust u/a/d November 6, 2003, Jane A. Lauder, as Grantor (the JAL 2003 Trust); and (v) 1,592,175 shares of Class B Common Stock held indirectly as trustee of The 4202 Trust, which owns all of the outstanding shares of The 4202 Corporation, which directly owns the shares of Class B Common Stock. The Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership of all such shares, except those pursuant to options that were exercisable or become exercisable on December 31, 2017 (and the Reporting Person has no other options to acquire any common stock of the Issuer that will become exercisable within 60 days following December 31, 2017).

(b)         The responses of the Reporting Person to Row (11) of the cover pages of this Schedule 13G are incorporated herein by reference. Each share of Class B Common Stock is convertible at the option of the holder into one share of Class A Common Stock and is automatically converted into one share of Class A Common Stock upon transfer to a person who is not a Permitted Transferee, as that term is defined in the Issuers Certificate of Incorporation. As of December 31, 2017, assuming conversion of all such shares of Class B Common Stock beneficially owned by the Reporting Person, the Reporting Person would beneficially own 29,980,321 shares of Class A Common Stock, which would constitute 11.8% of the number of shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding.

Each share of Class A Common Stock entitles the holder to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the Issuers stockholders and each share of Class B Common Stock entitles the holder to ten votes on each such matter, including the election of directors of the Issuer. As of December 31, 2017, assuming no conversion of any of the outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock, the 30,610 shares of Class A Common Stock and the 29,949,711 shares of Class B Common Stock for which the Reporting Person has voting power constitute 18.1% of the aggregate voting power of the Issuer.

(c)          As of December 31, 2017, the Reporting Person has sole voting and dispositive power with respect to the 29,975,879 shares of Class A Common Stock as follows: (i) the 26,168 shares of Class A Common Stock that the Reporting Person has the right to acquire pursuant to options that are exercisable or become within 60 days as of December 31, 2017; (ii) the 11,196,516 shares of Class B Common Stock held indirectly as the sole trustee of the ALZ 2000 Trust;  (iii) the 17,161,020 shares of Class B Common Stock held indirectly as the sole trustee of the JAL 2003 Trust; and (iv) the 1,592,175 shares of Class B Common Stock held indirectly as trustee of The 4202 Trust.  As of December 31, 2017, the Reporting Person shares voting and dispositive power with respect to 4,442 shares of Class A Common Stock owned by The Parsons Family Foundation.

Item 5.

Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class

Not Applicable

Item 6.

Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person

As of December 31, 2017, Aerin Lauder, as beneficiary of the ALZ 2000 Trust, has the right to receive or the power to direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of the 11,196,516 shares of Class B Common Stock owned by the ALZ 2000 Trust. As of December 31, 2017, Jane Lauder, as beneficiary of the JAL 2003 Trust, has the right to receive or the power to direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of the 17,161,020 shares of Class B Common Stock owned by the JAL 2003 Trust. As of December 31, 2017, the settlor of The 4202 Trust does not have the right to, but may receive (at the discretion of the Reporting Person, as the Shares Trustee of The 4202 Trust), dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of, the 1,592,175 shares of Class B Common Stock owned by The 4202 Trust.

Item 7.

Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company or Control Person

Not Applicable

Item 8.

Identification and Classification of Members of the Group

The Reporting Person is a party to a Stockholders Agreement (the Stockholders Agreement), dated November 22, 1995, as amended, among the parties listed on Exhibit A attached hereto. The stockholders who are parties to the Stockholders Agreement have agreed to vote in favor of the election of Leonard A. Lauder (or one of his sons) and Ronald S. Lauder (or one of his daughters) and one designee of each as directors of the Issuer. The Stockholders Agreement also contains certain limitations on the transfer of shares of Class A Common Stock. Each stockholder who is a party to the Stockholders Agreement has agreed to grant to the other parties a right of first offer to purchase shares of Class A Common Stock of the stockholder in the event the stockholder intends to sell to a person (or group of persons) who is not a Lauder Family Member, as defined therein, except in certain circumstances, such as sales in a widely distributed underwritten public offering or sales made in compliance with Rule 144.

Item 9.

Notice of Dissolution of Group

Not Applicable

Item 10.

Certifications

Not Applicable

Date: February 12, 2018

By: 

/s/Richard D. Parsons

Name: 

Richard D. Parsons

Exhibit No.

A

List of Parties to the Stockholders Agreement