Born to a Jewish family[3] in New York City and raised in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, he trained to be a musician.
Rayette and Barrie purchased the perfume and hair-care company Fabergé Inc. for $26 million in 1964, and the Brut line began achieving international success soon after.
Barrie was considered to be a pioneer in the area of celebrity endorsements, as he wooed stars such as Cary Grant, Farrah Fawcett, Joe Namath, Roger Moore, Muhammad Ali, Margaux Hemingway and Laurence Harvey to pitch company products.
Barrie and his Brut Productions produced the very successful film A Touch of Class (1973), which starred Glenda Jackson and George Segal, as well as Night Watch, Whiffs (1975), Sweet Hostage (1975), Thieves (1977), Nasty Habits (1977), and Fingers (1978).
Barrie and Sammy Cahn were nominated for the 1975 Academy Award for Best Original Song, after writing "Now That We're In Love."