Severance is slowly revealing the mysteries hiding at Lumon, but one figure who appears prominently continues to be obscured beneath fiction, deceptions, and mystery, Kier Eagan. Kier Eagan is the founder and first CEO of Lumon Industries. As such, he is held in high regard by the employees of the company. However, there is a clear religious overtone about the way Lumon operates, and the worship and praise of the long deceased founder.

Particularly for the Severed employees, whose minds have been carefully partitioned to allow the workers to focus entirely on their work, with no recollection of a life outside the office, Kier is treated as their leader, savior, mentor, and friend. Carefully constructed paintings of him appear on the walls, and his words are frequently quoted to shape and define the beliefs and ethics of employees. However, with so much mystery and clear deception coming from Lumon, getting the facts about Kier straight will likely be important as the show unfolds.

Kier Eagan's Childhood & Background Explained

Kier's History Is Colorful And Extensive

Kier Eagan's childhood is shrouded in mystery, as is much of the Lumon founder's life. However, there are plenty of stories and portraits that elude to his early life. Through the lens of the severed staff at Lumon, who are painfully lacking in resources to be able to or expand their knowledge beyond the carefully selected material from Lumon, Kier appears to be a sort of deified businessman whose life and teachings are held up as an idealistic and powerful example.

As far as Severance has revealed, Kier Eagan was born in 1841, and as a young boy, he was prone to illness due to his parents having some sort of close genetic relation. As a result, Kier developed terrible diseases like Tuberculosis which left him bedridden for extended periods. As he grew, Kier entered the world of work, and found himself drawn to learning about business operations.

Kier Eagan Founded Lumon Industries In 1865 At Age 24

Lumon Is The Eagan Legacy In Severance

While Kier was very young, at just 24 years old, when he began Lumon, he had already developed a wealth of important experiences. He worked several jobs, which ranged from menial labor, to a military doctor, and he met his wife, Imogene, while working in a factory. Combining this experience, and recognizing the value of life-saving medication, Kier Eagan sought to start Lumon as a way to manufacture pharmaceuticals and medications to aid others with illness.

Kier was fortunate enough to partake of enormous success through his work, and Lumon expanded and grew to become a global brand which dominated many corners of the market including pharmaceuticals, but stretching far beyond this original concept. And being unable to say goodbye to work and the company he formed, Kier stayed on as CEO until he died in 1939, just two years away from his 100th birthday.

Kier Eagan's Beliefs, Mission & Messages In Severance Explained

The Legacy Of Kier Guides All Employees At Lumon

Kier appears to have been prone to believing that work is a reflection of a person's deeper values and character. He was prone to deliver speeches and lines that were recorded and appear to form the basis of Lumon employee's codes of conduct, and he neatly broke down concepts to educate employees on how best to live, and to be more industrious and diligent in their efforts. In addition to the Four Tempers which Kier suggested rule and define the human soul, Kier also laid out nine core principles that he expected employees at Lumon to live by to reach their potential.

1. Vision
2. Verve
3. Wit
4. Cheer
5. Humility
6. Benevolence
7. Nimbleness
8. Probity
9. Wiles

These principles, along with the Tempers, woe, malice, frolic, and dread, form the foundation of Kier's belief system. And while it's difficult to know for certain that Kier did in fact espouse these beliefs, the rhetoric at Lumon clearly paints this historical figure as some prophetic messiah, who is infinitely wise, and deserving of endless worship. This is again reflected in the images, statues, the Perpetuity Wing, and the many other ways that Kier, his messages, and his life are exalted and worshiped.

Kier Eagan's Death In Severance Explained

There Is A Lot Of Mystery Surrounding Kier's Supposed Demise

As much as is revealed about Kier and his life in Severance, his death remains a complete mystery. Kier is described as having stayed on as the CEO of Lumon until his death, though there is nothing that can outright confirm this detail. However, it does appear that there have been eight CEOs of the company to date, with Jame Eagan serving as the current CEO. The Perpetuity Wing features statues depicting each CEO, and outlining the years they served in this role.

While Kier was by far the longest standing CEO, having founded the company at a young age and maintaining the role till his death, Lumon appears to have continued to grow and thrive in the near century since he died. New technologies have been designed, including the severance chip, and Lumon remains a formidable company that is recognizable to a global audience.

Why Lumon Is Still So Obsessed With Kier Eagan

Kier Is More Than A CEO To Lumon

While the world outside Lumon also appears to have been influenced by Lumon and key figures in the company, there is a significant contrast between the way people talk about the company from an outside perspective and those who work for it regard Lumon. Mark Scout lives in a town called Kier, which is almost certainly named after the Founder, and he lives in Lumon housing. But, there are non-Lumon homes, and there are plenty of people who view Lumon and its practices as controversial and negative.

Even the unsevered employees who work at upper levels in Lumon treat Kier as some sort of ever-present, ever-watching figure.

Inside the lobby of the Lumon building, there is a large engraving of Kier's face on the wall which can be seen by employees before severance kicks in, but no one has mentioned his name or life outside the Severed floor. Instead, it appears as though Lumon is deified to the Innies, to give them a shared faith, or some sort of purpose. However, even the unsevered employees who work at upper levels in Lumon treat Kier as some sort of ever-present, ever-watching figure. Ultimately, it's difficult to know what is and isn't true about Kier Eagan, but all may be revealed as Severance progresses.