Toronto-born Brandon Truaxe, founder of skincare company Deciem the Abnormal Beauty Company, has died. Truaxe was just 40 years old at the time of his death. According to Radar, he was found on a six-floor balcony beneath his 32nd-floor condominium located in downtown Toronto.
The day prior to his death, Truaxe posted a series of videos from his condominium. In the video he repeatedly provided the address of his building and also noted he had been drinking tequila.
The company posted a statement on Instagram that read: “Brandon, our founder and friend. You touched our hearts, inspired our minds and made us believe that anything is possible. Thank you for every laugh, every learning and every moment of your genius. Whilst we can’t imagine a world without you, we promise to take care of each other and will work hard to continue your vision. May you finally be at peace.”
According to the National Post, Truaxe had been hospitalized for mental illness at least three times over the past year, twice in the United Kingdom and once in Canada.
Deciem was founded inn 2013 by Trauxe, whose background includes the launch of Euko, a high-end skincare line and Indeed Labs, which he left in 2012.
Deciem was known for its quality ingredients, transparent labeling and relatively low prices. Among ts various lines, The Ordinary serum line was its most popular in part because customers could custom mix ingredients according to their skincare needs. Global beauty company Estée Lauder took notice of the brand’s rapid rise and purchased a 28 percent share of the company in June 2017.
Following a year of more erratic than usual behavior, Estée Lauder in October 2018 was successful in having him legally removed as CEO. The move was prompted by Truaxe’s announcement on Instagram that he was temporarily shutting down the brand’s website and store for two months because, he claimed, “almost everyone at Deciem has been involved in major criminal activity, which includes financial crimes.”
After being removed as CEO, Truaxe continued to rail at the decision on Instagram. In mid-January, he requested the company hire him as a social media manager. Truaxe wrote, “Would you allow Human Resources Director, Neha Gupta, to hire me as a Social Director, given that I seem to be managing my own account here more entertainingly and creatively than our team has been managing @deciem? I’m happy to accept a lower compensation amount.”
Check out Deciem’s statement and Truaxe’s final video below.
Deciem statement
View this post on Instagram
Truaxe final Instagram post