Friedrich Bayer (June 6, 1825 - May 6, 1880) was the founder of what would become Bayer, a German chemical and pharmaceutical company. Son of a silkworker, he grew up at a time when the textile industry was flourishing. The discoveries of inorganic chemistry in the field of dyestuff manufacturing and the market potential associated with these advances prompted him to expand his distribution program. Together with his future business partner Friedrich Weskott, he experimented with production and testing of these tar dyes by his own company. They ultimately succeeded in producing dyes that were of far better quality than the first generation The successful partnership between Bayer and Weskott led to the establishment of a first small production facility - the seed for what would later become Bayer AG. When Bayer died in 1880 at the age of 54, he left behind a flourishing family business.