Bieber Says e.l.f. Preserved Her Role After Rhode Deal
The Rhode cofounder says e.l.f. kept its promises after acquiring the beauty brand in a deal worth up to $1 billion.
Key takeaways
- Hailey Bieber says e.l.f. has kept its promises on Rhode’s creative and product decisions.
- Rhode’s founders sought a larger partner to help the brand scale globally.
- Rhode reported roughly $390 million in fiscal 2026 net sales, up 80% year over year.
Hailey Bieber says e.l.f. Beauty has preserved her influence over Rhode since agreeing to acquire the brand in a deal worth up to $1 billion. She said the company has stuck to its promises and left her team making decisions.
Bieber told Fortune she feared an acquirer might replace team members or limit her say in product development. Instead, e.l.f. told her it wanted her to be more involved, she said.
Rhode cofounder Lauren Ratner said the founders also worried a buyer would meddle in the business. She said e.l.f. planned to provide support behind the scenes while letting Rhode’s team continue its work.
Bieber now serves as Rhode’s chief creative officer and as a strategic adviser to e.l.f. Beauty. She said the brand’s decisions remain largely in her hands.
The founders had not been planning an immediate sale, Bieber said. Rhode was preparing to enter Sephora, while Ratner said the team needed a larger partner’s infrastructure to scale globally.
Rhode recorded roughly $390 million in net sales in fiscal 2026, an 80% increase from the previous year. The brand recently launched with Sephora in Europe across 19 markets and more than 500 stores, Ratner said.
This article was produced with the help of AI technology. Based on reporting by the outlets listed above.
