Born on the island of Corsica in 1875, François Spoturno was orphaned at an early age and reared by a grandmother. After leaving school he drifted to Marseille and then--in 1900&mdashø Paris, where he worked as a haberdashery salesman.
Coty, Inc. is a century-old fragrance manufacturer that also produces cosmetics and other health and beauty aids. Founded by a Corsican who exploited his marketing knack to become, reputedly, the richest man in France, the company has experienced numerous changes in ownership and management over the years.
In 1999 Coty introduced Adidas Moves, a men's fragrance, to the United States and was planning to add its line of soaps as well. It also introduced Jovan Body Splash and a Dulce Vanilla fragrance, and it brought the Rimmel makeup line to the United States.
Coty was planning to introduce a new mass-market perfume, Esprit, in 44 countries under a licensing agreement with apparel marketer Esprit de Corp. Also planned for 2000 were line extensions of Aspen and Adidas. In all, Coty was marketing 44 scents.
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