e.l.f. Beauty CEO Defends DEI As Key To Financial Success Despite Trump’s Criticism — ‘There’s A Lot Of Rhetoric, But Without The Actual Facts’
In January, President Donald Trump claimed that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was “nonsense,” reports The Hill. e.l.f. Beauty CEO Tarang Amin disagrees.
In an interview with CNN on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, Amin said diversity is a key driver of the company’s financial success. He added that many CEOs he speaks with also strongly support greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
“I’ve never met a CEO who didn’t want the best possible workforce they could get. And we see lots of data, there’s a lot of rhetoric, but without the actual facts,” which he notes tell a different story.
Amin cited a press release highlighting research from North Carolina A&T State University — the nation’s largest historically Black university — showing that, from 2018-2024, companies with greater than average gender diversity on their boards outperformed those with below-average gender diversity by a staggering 256% annually.
The press release spotlighted e.l.f.’s Change the Board Game initiative, which currently consists of 70 individual leaders and 20 organizations committed to making boardrooms more accessible and advancing representation through strategic programs, board readiness and placement partnerships, and advocacy efforts.
“e.l.f. Beauty is built on positivity, inclusivity and accessibility and those values guide how we lead. We believe that when diverse voices come to the table, especially voices that reflect the communities we serve, everyone wins,” Amin said in the news release.
e.l.f. is one of five publicly traded U.S. companies — out of approximately 4,000 — with a Board comprising 67% women and 44% racially diverse members, the news release states.
“We’re proud of the diversity on our Board, and we don’t want e.l.f. Beauty to be one of only five public companies at this level,” Amin added.
When asked on CNN whether he believes his outspoken support for DEI could put him at odds with the Trump administration, Amin stood firm in his commitment, emphasizing that the company has spent its 21-year history democratizing access.
“We are who we are and we’re very clear. We believe it’s a competitive advantage to have a team that reflects the communities we serve. Having a diverse board has been very important to us in our decision making. We’re standing for what we stand for, we have for 21 years, we’re going to continue to,” he commented.
e.l.f. Beauty Faces Backlash Over Controversial Ad Campaign
Amin’s comments championing DEI come as e.l.f. faces controversy over an ad campaign released on Aug. 11, 2025, featuring comedian Matt Rife and drag queen Heidi N Closet.
According to USA Today, Rife rose to fame in 2022 after his stand-up clips went viral on TikTok. He has since faced backlash over a domestic violence joke and other disparaging remarks in his 2023 Netflix debut, “Natural Selection,” and for allegedly making inappropriate comments to a 6-year-old online.
Much of the push back surrounding Rife comes from women, who were primarily responsible for his initial popularity. However, he chose to pivot, describing the Netflix special as an effort to appeal to a male audience.
“Without women, I would’ve never gained the momentum I did on social media, and I’m so grateful for that,” Rife said on the “BFF’s Pod” podcast, per USA Today.
“But in doing that, a lot of dudes didn’t like that. … I feel like my comedy is more for guys than women,” he continued.
Given that Rife has no prior connection to the beauty industry — and that e.l.f. and its products overwhelmingly target women — many fans, including former e.l.f. partners, questioned his involvement and called for a boycott of the brand, CNN notes.
In response, e.l.f. issued an apology to its customers via Instagram on Aug. 13.
“you know us, we’re always listening and we’ve heard you,” it said.
“this campaign aimed to humorously spotlight beauty injustice. we understand we missed the mark with people we care about in our e.l.f. community. while e.l.f.ino & schmarnes closes today, we’ll continue to make the case against overpriced beauty,” the post concluded.
As of writing, the post has received over 73,000 likes and remains flooded with comments from users criticizing the apology and demanding the removal of the ad campaign.
