Les Wexner

Leslie Herbert Wexner
Born	Leslie Herbert Wexner 9/8/1937
Birthplace	Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Businessman, philanthropist
Known for	Founder of The Limited; principal in Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, Bath & Body Works
Education	Ohio State University (BBA)
Children	4
Awards	Woodrow Wilson Award (2004)

Leslie Herbert Wexner (born September 8, 1937), commonly known as Les Wexner, is an American billionaire businessman, philanthropist, and political figure. He is the founder of The Limited, a retail conglomerate that grew from a single women's clothing store in Columbus, Ohio, into one of the largest specialty retail empires in the United States, encompassing brands such as Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, Bath & Body Works, Express, and La Senza. As the longest-serving CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Wexner led his enterprise for more than five decades before stepping down as chief executive of L Brands in 2020. A major philanthropist, he has donated extensively to Ohio State University and various civic and Jewish community organizations. His career and reputation have been significantly overshadowed in recent years by his long association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who served as Wexner's financial manager from 1987 to 2007. In February 2026, it was revealed that the FBI had named Wexner as an unindicted co-conspirator in connection with the Epstein case, and he was subsequently ordered to attend a deposition related to abuse allegations at Ohio State University.

Early Life

Leslie Herbert Wexner was born on September 8, 1937, in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Harry and Bella Wexner, both of Russian-Jewish immigrant descent. His parents operated a small retail clothing store in Columbus, Ohio, where the family relocated during Wexner's youth. The experience of growing up around his parents' store provided Wexner with an early and formative education in the retail business. He observed the daily operations of the family store, learning about merchandise selection, customer relations, and the challenges facing small retailers.

Wexner's mother, Bella Cabakoff Wexner, was a significant figure in his life and later became known as a matriarch of the retail empire her son would build. She died in 2001 in New York at the age of 93. A memorial tribute described her influence on both the family and the broader Columbus community.

Growing up in the Dayton, Ohio, area and later Columbus, Wexner developed an interest in business from an early age. His upbringing in a modest retail household instilled in him both the entrepreneurial drive and the understanding of consumer behavior that would later prove instrumental in his career. The contrast between his parents' small store and the retail empire he would eventually create became a recurring theme in accounts of his rise in American business.

Education

Wexner attended Ohio State University in Columbus, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. His time at Ohio State would have a lasting impact not only on his career but also on his philanthropic priorities, as the university became one of the primary beneficiaries of his charitable giving in later decades. Wexner has been recognized as an honorary member of the Sphinx senior class honorary at Ohio State, one of the university's most prestigious distinctions.

Career

Founding of The Limited

In 1963, Wexner founded The Limited, a women's clothing store, with a $5,000 loan from his aunt. The store was established in the Kingsdale Shopping Center in Upper Arlington, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. The store's name reflected Wexner's strategy of offering a focused, "limited" selection of women's sportswear—a departure from the broader merchandise approach of his parents' store, which Wexner believed diluted the business's appeal. This concept of specialization proved to be a key insight that distinguished his venture from competitors.

The Limited grew rapidly throughout the 1960s and 1970s, expanding from a single store into a chain that became a fixture in American shopping malls. Wexner's approach to retail—emphasizing a curated selection of fashionable clothing at moderate prices—resonated with a growing segment of American consumers, particularly young women. The company went public in 1969, providing capital for further expansion.

Building a Retail Empire

Over the following decades, Wexner transformed The Limited into a sprawling retail conglomerate through a series of acquisitions and brand launches. The acquisition of Victoria's Secret in 1982 proved to be one of the most consequential business decisions of his career. Wexner purchased the struggling lingerie chain, then consisting of a handful of stores in the San Francisco area, and reimagined it as a mainstream, aspirational brand. Under his leadership, Victoria's Secret expanded into hundreds of mall locations across the United States and became one of the most recognizable brands in American retail, generating billions in annual revenue.

Wexner's portfolio eventually encompassed numerous other brands. Abercrombie & Fitch, which the company acquired in 1988, was repositioned under Wexner's ownership from a traditional sporting goods retailer into a youth-oriented casual clothing brand. Bath & Body Works, launched in 1990, became another major success, offering personal care products and fragrances. Other brands in the Wexner portfolio included Express, Lane Bryant, La Senza, Henri Bendel, and Lerner New York (later New York & Company).

The collective impact of these brands on American consumer culture was substantial. A 2026 analysis noted that mall brands like Victoria's Secret and Abercrombie & Fitch played a defining role in shaping what a generation of American teenagers in the 1990s and 2000s considered fashionable and desirable.

At its height, the parent company—renamed L Brands in 2013—operated thousands of retail stores and employed tens of thousands of workers. Wexner's tenure as CEO lasted from the company's founding in 1963 through 2020, making him one of the longest-serving chief executives of any publicly traded company in America. Harvard Business Review included Wexner in its ranking of the best-performing CEOs in the world in both 2015 and 2016.

Later Corporate Developments

Over time, Wexner divested many of the brands he had built or acquired. Abercrombie & Fitch was spun off as an independent company in 1998. Express and other brands were similarly separated from the parent organization. In February 2020, Wexner stepped down as CEO and chairman of L Brands, a move widely associated with the growing scrutiny of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The company subsequently sold the Victoria's Secret brand and renamed itself Bath & Body Works, Inc. Wexner retained the title of chair emeritus.

Political Activities and the Mega Group

Wexner has been active in political life, primarily as a supporter of Republican candidates and causes. In 2012, he hosted a fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney at his home in Ohio. In 2018, Wexner announced that he had left the Republican Party and identified as an independent, citing his discomfort with the direction of the party.

In 1991, Wexner co-founded the Mega Group with billionaire Charles Bronfman. The Mega Group was described as a club of some of the wealthiest and most influential Jewish-American businessmen, organized around philanthropic and pro-Israel advocacy efforts. In 2003, the group employed consultant Frank Luntz to help mobilize support for Israel among American policymakers and the public. The organization's activities have drawn scrutiny, with reports indicating it sought to influence U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and had contacts with Israeli intelligence.

Wexner attended a White House event in May 2008 during the administration of President George W. Bush.

Philanthropy

Wexner has been one of the most prominent philanthropists in Ohio, directing substantial donations to Ohio State University, Jewish community organizations, and civic institutions in the Columbus area.

His relationship with Ohio State University has been defined by major financial contributions. The university's Wexner Medical Center, one of the largest academic medical centers in the United States, bears his name. He has also supported the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State, a contemporary art museum that opened in 1989 and has served as a center for exhibitions and performances. Ohio State has recognized Wexner among its most significant philanthropic supporters.

Through the Wexner Foundation, established in 1984, Wexner has supported programs focused on Jewish community leadership development. The foundation runs the Wexner Graduate Fellowship, the Wexner Senior Leaders Program, and the Wexner Israel Fellowship, among other initiatives.

In the Columbus area, Wexner also supported the New Albany Classic, an elite equestrian competition held in the community of New Albany, Ohio, where Wexner resides. The event ran for approximately 20 years before concluding.

Association with Jeffrey Epstein

The most scrutinized aspect of Wexner's life has been his long relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender who died in jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Origins of the Relationship

Wexner retained Epstein as his financial manager beginning in 1987. According to Bloomberg, Wexner was initially the "main client" of Epstein's money-management firm. The nature and depth of the financial relationship between the two men has been a subject of extensive inquiry. Epstein ran his financial advisory business from a mansion in New York City that was owned by Wexner, and Epstein sometimes lived in the property. Wexner eventually transferred ownership of the Manhattan townhouse—one of the largest private residences in the city—to Epstein, a transaction that drew significant scrutiny.

The relationship between Wexner and Epstein lasted approximately two decades, ending in 2007. Wexner has stated that he severed ties with Epstein after discovering that Epstein had misappropriated funds. In testimony and public statements, Wexner has characterized himself as a victim of Epstein's manipulation, describing Epstein as "a world-class con man" by whom he was "duped."

Epstein's Financial Network

Investigations into Epstein's finances revealed that his wealth was closely intertwined with Wexner's business affairs. Epstein's longtime accountant provided testimony to House lawmakers regarding Epstein's financial portfolio and business ties, detailing the scope of the financial relationship between the two men.

Epstein reportedly used his relationship with Wexner and other wealthy individuals as leverage. A 2026 report by The New York Times described how Epstein drafted letters to men including Wexner in which he hinted at shared secrets, a practice characterized as an effort to maintain influence over powerful figures.

Other prominent figures were linked to both Wexner and Epstein through business dealings. In 2026, testimony revealed that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor (formerly known as Prince Andrew) had contacted Wexner to promote himself as a plane salesman, reportedly helping facilitate the sale of an aircraft. This contact was described during proceedings connected to the broader Epstein investigation.

Congressional and Legal Proceedings

Wexner and other members of Epstein's inner circle, including attorneys Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, were subpoenaed to testify before the House Oversight Committee as part of a congressional investigation into Epstein's activities and financial network. Indyke and Kahn had recently settled a lawsuit alleging they facilitated Epstein's trafficking network.

On February 10, 2026, Representative Ro Khanna revealed during congressional proceedings that the FBI had named Wexner as an unindicted co-conspirator in connection with the Epstein case. The following day, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio denied Wexner's motion to quash a subpoena, ordering him to attend a deposition in a case related to Ohio State University and the abuse committed by former staff physician Richard Strauss, who was implicated in the Ohio State University abuse scandal. Wexner had served on the Ohio State University Board of Trustees, and the litigation sought to establish what university officials and prominent donors knew about the alleged abuse.

In his testimony before Congress, Wexner maintained that he was unaware of Epstein's criminal activities and reiterated that he had been deceived by his former financial adviser.

Personal Life

Wexner resides in New Albany, Ohio, an affluent community east of Columbus that he played a significant role in developing. He has four children. Wexner has been a prominent figure in the Columbus, Ohio, social and civic landscape for decades, and his philanthropic activities have shaped many of the city's cultural and educational institutions.

In 2018, Wexner publicly announced his departure from the Republican Party, stating that he would identify as an independent going forward. He had previously been a supporter of Republican candidates and causes, including hosting fundraisers and making significant political donations.

Recognition

In 2004, Wexner received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship, recognizing his contributions to public life and philanthropy. His inclusion in Harvard Business Review's rankings of the world's best-performing CEOs in 2015 and 2016 reflected his long track record of corporate performance at the helm of L Brands.

Wexner's philanthropic contributions have been recognized by Ohio State University through the naming of the Wexner Medical Center and the Wexner Center for the Arts. He has been acknowledged as one of the university's foremost benefactors. He is an honorary member of the Sphinx senior class honorary at Ohio State.

Wexner has appeared on the Forbes list of billionaires, with his wealth stemming primarily from his holdings in L Brands (now Bath & Body Works, Inc.) and related investments.

Legacy

Wexner's legacy is characterized by a duality that reflects the complexity of his public life. On one hand, he built one of the most successful retail enterprises in American history, creating brands that defined consumer culture for a generation of Americans. Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, Bath & Body Works, and other brands under his stewardship became ubiquitous features of the American retail landscape, present in virtually every major shopping mall in the country during the 1990s and 2000s. His philanthropic contributions transformed institutions in Columbus, Ohio, and supported leadership development in the Jewish community through the Wexner Foundation.

On the other hand, his two-decade association with Jeffrey Epstein has cast a lasting shadow over his accomplishments. The revelation in 2026 that the FBI had named Wexner as an unindicted co-conspirator, along with his subsequent congressional testimony and court-ordered deposition, ensured that his name would remain connected to one of the most prominent criminal cases in recent American history. The questions surrounding what Wexner knew about Epstein's activities, how Epstein accumulated his wealth through his relationship with Wexner, and the extent to which Epstein used his financial role to gain access to powerful individuals remain subjects of ongoing investigation and public scrutiny.

The cultural brands Wexner built have also faced retrospective reassessment. Commentators have examined how Victoria's Secret's marketing approach and Abercrombie & Fitch's branding strategies reflected and promoted particular ideals of attractiveness and desirability that influenced a generation of young Americans, raising broader questions about corporate influence on cultural norms.