Who Founded Burt's Bees and When
Burt's Bees was co-founded by Roxanne Quimby and Burt Shavitz in 1984 in Maine. The company started as a small side business making beeswax candles and natural personal care products. Quimby, a former artist and homesteader, scaled the brand into a national natural skincare company.
Burt Shavitz was the beekeeper and face of the brand, while Quimby handled product development and business strategy. Their partnership ended in the 1990s, and Shavitz left the company. Quimby continued to grow Burt's Bees into a global personal care brand.
Burt's Bees Financials and Ownership
Burt's Bees was acquired by Clorox Company in 2007 for approximately $925 million in cash. The deal made Quimby one of the wealthiest self-made women in the United States. Clorox operates Burt's Bees as a subsidiary focused on natural personal care products.
As of the latest available public data, Burt's Bees generates hundreds of millions in annual revenue for Clorox. The brand operates in over 190 countries and maintains a strong presence in the natural and organic personal care market. Clorox's acquisition of Burt's Bees is a case study in brand scaling and portfolio diversification.
Roxanne Quimby's Net Worth and Legacy
Roxanne Quimby's net worth has been estimated in the hundreds of millions by Forbes and other financial outlets, largely due to her stake in Burt's Bees before and after the Clorox acquisition. She has since focused on philanthropy and land conservation in Maine through the Roxanne Quimby Foundation.
Quimby also played a major role in developing the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine. Her story is frequently cited in discussions about female founders and the natural products industry. For more details on her background, see the Forbes profile of Roxanne Quimby here.
