Career
His life prior to 1796 is not well known. In 1803 Carlo Farina, who was not part of the famous cologne-producing family, fraudulently sold William Mülhens that family"s naming rights. In 1805 Mühlens was first recorded as a cologne manufacturer, later sold under the product name 4711 from 1881.
After the Napoleonic wars his company also exported the cologne abroad, including Paris and Stralsund.
In 1832 Wilhelm Mülhens was found guilty of abusing the name "Farina", and the 1803 contract was found to be void.