Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours, usually referred to as Éleuthère Irénée du Pont or simply Irénée du Pont, was a French-American chemist and industrialist who founded the E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, commonly known as DuPont. DuPont is one of the world's largest chemical companies, with a history spanning over two centuries.