Eugène Paul Louis Schueller was born in Paris in 1881. The son of two hard-working pastry shop owners, he was growing up to be an exceptionally studious and ambitious young man. He not only earned top grades in all his classes, but he also got up early to help his parents prepare the pastries. Every, single, day. A relatively unspectacular beginning for someone destined to build one of the world’s greatest fortunes…

After finishing his Baccalauréat degree, which is roughly equivalent to two years of college, Eugène entered the Institute of Applied Chemistry in 1900. Once again, he succeeded brilliantly and finished first in his class. Following his graduation in 1904, he took a position as a laboratory assistant at the Sorbonne. It seemed like he was mapping out a career as a university researcher. But while that was highly respectable, it was hardly lucrative.

Then something happened that would change the course of his life forever…

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Eugène Schueller
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