New York › Manufacturing › 5,000 to 24,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
The Estee Lauder Companies Retirement Growth Account Plan
Sponsored by Estee Lauder, Inc., Long Island City, NY
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
In the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, The Estee Lauder Companies Retirement Growth Account Plan covered 18,663 participants and held $841M in net assets. The plan is a cash balance pension plan sponsored by Estee Lauder, Inc. of Long Island City, New York. It is a multiple-employer plan covering the employees of more than one employer.
Net assets came to $45,062 per participant, well below the $87,623 median for defined benefit plans with 5,000 to 24,999 participants and well below the $67,961 median for defined benefit plans in manufacturing. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Employer contributions were $37.6M for the year ($4,488 per active participant) and benefits paid were $44.0M. In a defined benefit plan the employer's contribution follows funding rules rather than a match formula, so it can swing widely from year to year.
Schedule C lists 15 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $2.7M: $146 per participant, well below the same-size median of $232. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $2.8M. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $442M in 2009 to $841M in 2024 (up 90%), and participants from 12,231 to 18,663 (up 53%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $45,062 | $87,623 | $67,961 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $4,488 | $9,468 | $6,915 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $146 | $232 | $299 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.33% | 0.30% | 0.47% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $148 | $396 | $498 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 5,000 to 24,999 participants (651 plans), manufacturing (1,532) and all US plans (5,308). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 18,663 | $841M | $45,062 | $37.6M | — | $2.7M |
| 2023 | 18,486 | $844M | $45,658 | $39.2M | — | $2.8M |
| 2022 | 17,492 | $791M | $45,248 | $50.0M | — | $3.0M |
| 2018 | 15,692 | $803M | $51,182 | — | — | $2.8M |
| 2017 | 15,364 | $888M | $57,814 | $40.0M | — | $3.2M |
| 2016 | 14,876 | $761M | $51,188 | $30.0M | — | $3.1M |
| 2015 | 14,213 | $711M | $50,034 | $25.0M | — | $5.0M |
| 2014 | 13,622 | $745M | $54,708 | — | — | $3.8M |
| 2013 | 13,247 | $715M | $53,981 | — | — | $3.3M |
| 2012 | 12,749 | $702M | $55,094 | $60.0M | — | $2.9M |
| 2011 | 12,254 | $594M | $48,478 | $69.0M | — | $2.4M |
| 2010 | 12,256 | $515M | $42,009 | $32.4M | — | $1.6M |
| 2009 | 12,231 | $442M | $36,170 | $22.6M | — | $1.5M |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$844,033,308
- Employer contributions$37,600,000
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$37,600,000
- Total income, including investment results$43,718,546
- Benefits paid$43,996,207
- Administrative expenses$2,765,951
- Total expenses$46,762,158
- Net income−$3,043,612
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$840,989,696
Participants
- Active participants8,377
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits1,356
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits8,801
- Total participants, end of year18,663
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alight Solutions LLC | Recordkeeping and information management | $862,890 | $1,897 |
| Morgan Stanley | Investment management | $557,690 | $0 |
| Lindsell Train Ltd. | Investment management | $300,576 | $0 |
| Silchester International | Investment management | $264,471 | $0 |
| Towers Watson Investment Service | Investment management | $193,656 | $0 |
| Legal & General Investment | Investment management | $121,783 | $0 |
| Mercer | Investment management | $105,485 | $0 |
| Grant Thornton LLP | Accounting (including auditing); Other services | $67,895 | $0 |
| Fiduciary Trust | Investment management | $57,298 | $0 |
| Loomis Sayles and Company LP | Investment management | $45,499 | $0 |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | Investment management | $44,375 | $0 |
| BlackRock Institutional Trust Co. | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution); Trustee (discretionary); Investment management | $37,604 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. 3 smaller rows are not shown. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Investment advisory and management fees$1,788,732
- Recordkeeping fees$862,890
- IQPA audit fees$59,600
- Other administrative expenses$45,830
- Legal fees$10,947
- Total administrative expenses$2,765,951
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Common/collective trusts$491M · 51.7%
- U.S. Government securities$152M · 16.0%
- Receivables$130M · 13.7%
- Other investments$92.8M · 9.8%
- Partnership/joint venture interests$42.8M · 4.5%
- 103-12 investment entities$26.7M · 2.8%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$14.9M · 1.6%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmGrant Thornton LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $25,000,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
1ABenefits are primarily pay related1CCash balance or similar plan1ECode section 401(h) arrangement
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 339900: Other Miscellaneous Mfg.
Other plans of Estee Lauder, Inc.
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| The Estee Lauder Companies 401(k) Savings Plan | 18,363 | $3.17B |
Similar plans in New York
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corning Incorporated Pension Plan | Corning Incorporated | 33,086 | $2.84B | $85,902 |
| Colgate-Palmolive Company Employees' Retirement Income Plan | Colgate-Palmolive Company | 8,715 | $1.28B | $146,467 |
| Kodak Retirement Income Plan | Eastman Kodak Company | 33,088 | $3.11B | $94,041 |
| Soft Drink and Brewery Workers Union Local 812 Retirement Fund | Board of Trustees Soft Drink and Brewery Workers | 7,674 | $973M | $126,827 |
| GE Energy Pension Plan | Ropcor, Inc. | 51,368 | $8.92B | $173,644 |
| United Wire, Metal & Machine Pension Fund | Board of Trustees of U.W.M. & M. Pension Fund | 5,682 | $213M | $37,427 |
Defined benefit plans in manufacturing closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is The Estee Lauder Companies Retirement Growth Account Plan?
18,663 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 8,377 were active employees, with net assets of $840,989,696. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 5,000 to 24,999 participants band, which held 651 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Estee Lauder, Inc. contribute per participant?
The filing reports $37,600,000 in employer contributions for the year, which is $4,488 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $9,468 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $2,730,313 in compensation to service provider organisations, $146 per participant or 0.33% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $232 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $2,765,951. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Estee Lauder, Inc.. Recordkeeping or administration: Alight Solutions LLC. Investment advisory or management: Morgan Stanley, Lindsell Train Ltd. and Silchester International. Trustee or custodian: BlackRock Institutional Trust Co.. The financial statements were audited by Grant Thornton LLP. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 29 Sep 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 13-1871348, plan 001, received 29 Sep 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.