I think many are missing the point, the Leica camera company has a history stretching back to 1842 as a advanced microscope maker, and even predates the time original Leica joined the company.
But the point is and remains, the people that started and advanced the company were master mechanics and not bean counters, and it was later Leica that pioneered and advanced the 35mm film concept for still photography, first in rangefinder models of exceptional quality, and later on they pioneered the 35 mm single lens reflex concept
that became the standard for photojournalist candid shots.
Only later did we see competitors like Canon and Nikon rise to compete, on a platform of only slightly lesser quality and a much lower costs. But due to the fact that Leica, like all companies has to compete on price, we now see some compromises on quality.
Wiki has an interesting article on the history of Leica, and anyone can google Leica history.