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

May 2025

A clothier turned philanthropist, the dad behind a ‘leap’ in learning, and a ‘key’ curator of African art

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Our May obituaries also include a celebrity optician, a legendary blind guitarist who saw the world through music, and a renowned geophysicist who once worked with Mother Teresa.

Past months

A stylized depiction of a man's suit, with the tie serving as a window into a tropical Miami cityscape featuring a small shop with men's wear mannequins in its window.
April 2025
A self-made clothing honcho, a trailblazing female exec, and an enterprising NBA player
The image shows a brain-shaped map with two taxi routes, suggesting a journey within the brain's neural pathways. A female researcher in a white lab coat is observing this journey.
March 2025
A cutting-edge brain researcher, an intrepid investor, and a whimsical ad exec
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
February 2025
An automotive tycoon, a prescient media pioneer, and a heart implant innovator
A business executive who helped steer Citigroup and Time Warner through storms leaves behind a legacy
January 2025
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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Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge James R. Hagerty for his contributions to the writing and development of McKinsey on Lives & Legacies.

Special thanks to McKinsey Global Publishing colleagues Adam Volk, Amanda Soto, CherryAnn Goodridge, Dan Spector, Dana Sand, Diane Rice, Eleni Kostopoulos, Emily Adeyanju, Janet Michaud, Martine Louis, Mike Borruso, Nicole Adams, Philip Kim, Sara Thuerk, Stephanie D’Arc Taylor, Stephen Landau, Victor Cuevas, and Vanessa Burke.