In what year did Maus Frères acquire Lacoste?

Maus Frères acquired Lacoste in 2012. The Swiss family-owned group bought the remaining shares of the French sportswear company in November, completing its takeover.

Maus Frères had already become Lacoste’s majority shareholder through its ownership of Devanlay, the company that held the Lacoste clothing license and manufactured much of its apparel. The 2012 transaction therefore turned an earlier controlling interest into outright ownership of Lacoste.

Lacoste was founded in 1933 by tennis player René Lacoste and entrepreneur André Gillier. Its crocodile emblem originated with René’s nickname, “the Crocodile,” and the company grew from tennis shirts into a global business selling clothing, footwear, fragrances, eyewear, leather goods and accessories.

The year is sometimes confused with 1998, when Maus Frères first acquired a large stake in Devanlay, or with later corporate changes under the broader MF Brands Group structure. The relevant year for Maus Frères buying Lacoste outright is 2012.