McKinsey on Lives & Legacies

Monthly obituaries from business and society, highlighting the lasting legacies of executives and leaders from around the globe.
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Latest month

An illustration of a red SUV with a man at the steering wheel, carrying a globe on its roof, rests in a large hand set against a blue background
Obituary

An automotive tycoon, a prescient media pioneer, and a heart implant innovator

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Our February obituaries also include a nonagenarian Grammy winner, a cat therapist, and the cofounder of a Nobel Prize–winning physician group whose work touched 80 countries.

Past months

A business executive who helped steer Citigroup and Time Warner through storms leaves behind a legacy
Obituary
A premier crisis management expert, a retail and media giant, and a DIY powerhouse
A visionary music producer, reflects on a career that reshaped the soundscape of a generation.
December 2024
A music legend, a pioneering investment strategist, and a Nobel Prize–winning physicist
An isometric illustration of books creates a little world for people to relax and read.
November 2024
A bookselling titan, a computer pioneer, and a pathbreaking neurosurgeon
A business man peers out of a window while enjoying a cup of tea. Within the cityscape are cars, a tractor, and a university building.
October 2024
A corporate visionary, a retail CEO, and a fashion designer
A woman stands in front of her home in reflection. A tree made up of network nodes bursts through the roof of her garage.
September 2024
A tech titan, a literacy leader, and a cookie magnate
An illustration of a father and son crossing the street of a whimsical depiction of Detroit, Michigan. All seen through the perspective of the side mirror of a car.
August 2024
An entrepreneurial philanthropist, a biotech pioneer, and an acclaimed wine producer
A woman holding shopping bags travels up the escalator of a department store. Behind her are photos representing the life of the store's owner.
July 2024
A retail dynasty chief, a pioneer in statins, and a renowned crossword editor
An illustration of a woman standing on a rooftop looking up at billboard advertisements on neighboring rooftops
June 2024
The first female CEO of an NYSE-listed company and two lives that bookended an era
In the illustration, a person is looking through a window at a cityscape. The window is in the shape of a human head, which represents the mind.
May 2024
Two Nobel winners and a film producer who battled sexism
An illustration of a hand reaching out to help people cross a chasm. The hand represents mentorship.
April 2024
Lifelong mentor and a pink-clad maven of Italian shipping

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