Introduction
Leslie Herbert Wexner (USian, born September 8, 1937, Dayton, Ohio) is a USian billionaire, retail executive, political donor, and philanthropist who built one of the largest specialty retail conglomerates in US history. Wexner founded The Limited in 1963 and grew it into a family of brands that included Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lane Bryant, Express, and Henri Bendel. [1][2] Forbes estimates Wexner’s net worth at approximately $8 to $9 billion. [3]
Wexner is of investigative significance primarily because of his two-decade financial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein (USian, born January 20, 1953, Brooklyn, New York; died August 10, 2019, Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York City), a convicted sex offender and federally charged rape trafficker. Wexner granted Epstein full power of attorney over his fortune in 1991, making Epstein the financial gatekeeper of one of the wealthiest individuals in Ohio. [4][5] Between 1990 and 2001, the Boeing 727 later known as the “Lolita Express” was owned by Wexner before being transferred to Epstein. [6] Wexner’s Manhattan mansion at 9 East 71st Street, the Herbert N. Straus House, passed to Epstein through a series of opaque corporate transactions whose final 2011 transfer was recorded at zero dollars. [7] Epstein’s wealth, social position, and capacity to operate a rape trafficking network were, by the assessment of multiple members of the US Congress and numerous investigative journalists, made possible in large part by Wexner’s resources and credibility. [8][9]
Between February and April 2026, the Wexner file moved from background scandal to active legal crisis. On February 18, 2026, Wexner was deposed for approximately five hours at his New Albany, Ohio estate by the US House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. [10] The deposition produced contradictions between his sworn account and the documentary record, including a handwritten 2003 birthday-book entry signed “your friend Leslie” beneath a drawing of breasts, despite his repeated insistence under oath that Epstein was not his friend. [10] On March 6, 2026, eleven Epstein survivors filed suit against Wexner, the Wexner Foundation, and the Nine East 71st Street Corporation in the New York Supreme Court under New York City’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act, alleging that Wexner gave Epstein more than $200 million between 1987 and 2007 that Epstein used “to build his sex trafficking network and commit acts of gender-motivated violence.” [11][12] The case is being transferred to federal court in the Southern District of New York. [13] On April 3, 2026, the Ohio Capital Journal reported that Ohio State University had launched an investigation into a previously undisclosed Epstein arrangement that paid Mark B. Landon, the chair of Ohio State’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the doctor who delivered Wexner’s children, $100,000 a year between 2001 and 2005. [14] As of mid-April 2026, the university has received more than 400 requests to remove the Wexner name from campus buildings, including the entire Wexner Medical Center system. [15]
A 2019 FBI internal document, released under the 2025 Epstein Files Transparency Act, listed Wexner among ten potential co-conspirators alongside Ghislaine Maxwell (British, born December 25, 1961, Maisons-Laffitte, France), Jean-Luc Brunel (French, born November 19, 1946, Paris; died February 19, 2022, La Santé Prison, Paris), and others. [16] The same document noted there was “limited evidence of his involvement.” [17] Wexner has denied all knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct and has never been criminally charged. [18]
Leslie Wexner Family Background
Wexner’s father, Harry Louis Wexner (Russian-born, 1899, Russia; died 1975), emigrated from Russia to the US at the age of thirteen. [19][20] Harry Louis Wexner worked as a manager for a chain of budget clothing stores before opening his own women’s clothing store in Columbus, Ohio in 1951. [21] Wexner’s mother, Bella Wexner (USian, née Cabakoff, born 1908, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; died 2001), was the first member of her immigrant family born in the US. [19][22] Bella Wexner worked as a buyer for a department store before joining her husband in the family business. [21] The couple named their Columbus store “Leslie’s” after their son. [20]
Wexner has one younger sibling, Susan Wexner, about whom little is in the public record beyond her name. [22]
Wexner married Abigail Koppel (USian, born December 1961, New York City) on January 23, 1993, in New Albany, Ohio. [23] Wexner was 55 at the time; Abigail Koppel was 31. [24] Abigail Koppel’s father, Yehuda Koppel (Israeli-USian, died 2006), was instrumental in establishing the first US ticket office for El Al Israel Airlines. [25] Her mother is Zipora Goldman. [25] Abigail Koppel has two brothers, Dan Koppel and Gil Koppel. [23] She graduated magna cum laude from Barnard College at Columbia University and earned her Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law. [23][24] She practised law at Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York and London from 1987 to 1992. [24] She was introduced to Wexner through Wendy Meister, a corporate lawyer at Davis Polk who represented The Limited. [25]
Leslie and Abigail Wexner have four children: Harry Wexner (born 1994), Hannah Wexner (born 1995), David Wexner (born 1998), and Sarah Wexner (birth date undocumented in the public record). [26] Harry Wexner attended Columbus Academy, where he was valedictorian, and later Harvard University. [26]
Leslie Wexner Early Life and Career
Wexner grew up in a family that moved frequently due to Harry Louis Wexner’s job transfers. [21] The family settled in Columbus in 1951. [21] Wexner attended Bexley High School. [22] In 1953, Wexner won a minor award for an essay published in the Ohio Jewish Chronicle titled “Why I Love and Respect Judaism.” [22] Wexner initially expressed interest in architecture but graduated from Ohio State University in 1959 with a degree in business administration. [20][22] While at Ohio State, Wexner joined the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity. [22] Wexner served in the Ohio Air National Guard. [20] He briefly attended Moritz College of Law at Ohio State before dropping out. [21]
After leaving law school, Wexner returned to work at his parents’ store. While Harry Louis Wexner and Bella Wexner were on their first vacation, Wexner reviewed the store’s books and discovered that sportswear was the only consistently profitable category. [20] Wexner proposed that his parents narrow their inventory to sportswear alone. Harry Louis Wexner rejected the idea, reportedly telling his son, “You’ll never be a merchant.” [27]
In 1963, Wexner borrowed $5,000 from his aunt and opened The Limited in the Kingsdale Shopping Center in Upper Arlington, Ohio. [20] The store sold only women’s sportswear, and the name reflected the deliberately narrow inventory. [20] One year later, Harry Louis Wexner and Bella Wexner closed their own store and joined The Limited. [20] Wexner opened a second store in August 1964. [22] The Limited went public in 1969, listed as LTD on the New York Stock Exchange. [22]
A. Alfred Taubman (USian, born January 31, 1924, Pontiac, Michigan; died April 17, 2015, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan), the shopping mall developer, served as a mentor to Wexner starting in the mid-1960s. [22] Robert H. Morosky joined as vice chairman of The Limited’s board in 1972 and would later become a vocal critic of Wexner’s relationship with Epstein. [22] Wexner expanded The Limited throughout the 1970s, opening the 100th store in 1976. [22] In 1978, Wexner took on considerable debt to purchase Mast Industries, a Hong Kong-based garment importer that gave The Limited a supply chain advantage. [21]
In 1982, Wexner purchased Victoria’s Secret, then a struggling San Francisco lingerie chain of six stores, from Roy Raymond (USian, born 1947; died 1993, San Francisco) for $1 million. [20][28] Wexner transformed Victoria’s Secret into a global brand generating billions in annual revenue. [20] Further acquisitions followed: Lane Bryant, Henri Bendel, Abercrombie & Fitch (1988), and Bath & Body Works (1990). [28] At its peak, Wexner’s L Brands (formerly Limited Brands) operated more than 5,600 retail outlets across 28 million square feet of retail space. [27]
Leslie Wexner and the Shapiro Murder File
On the morning of Sunday, March 17, 1985, Arthur Shapiro (USian, born 1942), a Columbus tax attorney and partner in the law firm Schwartz, Shapiro, Kelm & Warren, was shot in the head outside his suburban Columbus home in what investigators classified as a mob-style execution. [87] Arthur Shapiro had personally managed the legal account for The Limited at the firm, which was Wexner’s principal outside counsel. [87][88]
The investigation generated an internal Columbus Division of Police memorandum dated June 6, 1991, written by analyst Elizabeth A. Leupp to Lieutenant Curtis K. Marcum and titled “Shapiro Homicide Investigation: Analysis and Hypothesis.” [89] Columbus Police Chief James G. Jackson ordered the document destroyed the same month it was completed; at least one copy survived and was recovered in 1998 by the Columbus Alive newspaper through a public records request. Confronted with the surviving copy by Channel 4 News, Chief Jackson said, “I thought I got rid of it,” and called the report “scandalous.” [90]
The eight-page memorandum mapped business relationships among The Limited, the law firm Schwartz, Shapiro, Kelm & Warren (later Schwartz, Kelm, Warren & Rubenstein), Walsh Trucking Company of New Jersey, the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation of Youngstown, Omni Exploration, the developer John W. “Jack” Kessler, the Major Chord Jazz Club, and SNJC Holding Inc. [89][91] Analyst Elizabeth Leupp’s stated conclusion was: “From the predicate facts presented, it appears that Les Wexner had established contact with associates reputed to be organized crime figures, one of whom was a major investment partner and another was using The Limited headquarters as a mailing address. It is not known whether there are other such figures among Wexner’s associates, but it can be hypothesized that the Genovese/LaRocca crime families might consider Wexner a friend.” [89][91]
Two named associates anchor the report. The first is Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. (USian, born May 17, 1909, Youngstown, Ohio; died December 19, 1994, Youngstown), the Youngstown-based shopping mall developer who at the time was one of the wealthiest men in Ohio. [87] The Shapiro Murder File identifies Edward DeBartolo Sr. as an “associate of the Genovese-LaRocca crime family in Pittsburgh,” sourcing the identification from the Pennsylvania Crime Commission. [89][91][92] In 1984 and again in November 1986, Wexner and Edward DeBartolo Sr. partnered on hostile takeover attempts of Carter-Hawley-Hale Stores, parent of Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, including a $1.8 billion cash offer. [89] A 1986 Los Angeles Times account documented that Edward DeBartolo Sr. had been “repeatedly investigated by federal authorities for connections to organized crime” and that bombings of his properties in the 1950s and 1960s had reinforced the rumours. [87] Edward DeBartolo Sr.’s son Edward DeBartolo Jr. pleaded guilty in 1998 to failing to report a felony in a bribery case and was pardoned by Donald Trump in February 2020. [87]
The second named associate is Francis J. “Frank” Walsh (USian), the owner and chief executive of Walsh Trucking Company of New Jersey, identified in the Shapiro Murder File as an associate of the Genovese-LaRocca family. [89][91] A Limited spokesperson told Women’s Wear Daily in the July 25, 1987 issue that Walsh Trucking handled “in excess of 90 percent of the Limited’s” freight at the time of Arthur Shapiro’s 1985 murder. [89] The Limited was described as “Walsh’s single largest customer.” [89] In July 1984, the New York State Department of Law Organized Crime Task Force issued a subpoena for Walsh’s bank records. National Westminster Bank of New York’s notice of the subpoena, addressed to Frank Walsh Financial Resources, was sent to “One Limited Parkway,” the address of The Limited’s Columbus headquarters. [89][91] In 1988, Frank Walsh was charged with making “illegal pay-offs to reported mob figures and officials of Teamster Local 560.” [87] The Walsh indictment named as unindicted co-conspirators Genovese crime family head Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno (USian, born August 15, 1911, East Harlem, New York; died July 27, 1992, Marion, Illinois federal penitentiary), capo Matthew “Matty the Horse” Ianniello (USian, born June 18, 1920, New York City; died August 15, 2012, Old Westbury, New York), and the Provenzano brothers, who had been linked in media accounts to the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. [87] Anthony Salerno was at this time represented in legal matters by Roy Cohn (USian, born February 20, 1927, The Bronx; died August 2, 1986, Bethesda, Maryland), who was simultaneously Donald Trump’s personal attorney. [92] Walsh Trucking was still moving freight for The Limited in 1990, despite the open federal investigation. [87] Robert Morosky, vice chairman of The Limited, resigned abruptly in June 1987; a Wall Street Journal report at the time attributed his departure in part to his association with Frank Walsh. [87][89]
A third strand the memorandum follows is the apparent use of a Wexner-controlled holding company to channel funds to Columbus city officials. SNJC Holding Inc., incorporated August 6, 1987 by James H. Balthaser of Schwartz, Kelm, Warren and Rubenstein and sharing Suite 3710 at the Huntington Center with Wexner Investment Company, was named in the report as an investor in the Major Chord Jazz Club, in which then-Columbus City Council president Jerry Hammond was a principal. [89][91] The report observed that Jerry Hammond purchased Suite 405 in Waterford Tower in August 1988 in circumstances that raised questions about whether his disclosed income could service the mortgage payments, and that within 18 to 24 months he had left City Council and the gas company and the jazz club had closed. [89] Jerry Hammond had been “swept up in an emotional debate about the [New Albany] luxury housing project in 1988” and was accused by local officials of selling out the city’s interests to benefit Wexner. [91]
A fourth strand reaches forward into the documented Wexner-Epstein financial relationship. The Daily Beast and the independent investigative outlet Unlimited Hangout have separately documented that Lewex Inc., a Wexner holding company named in the Shapiro Murder File, acquired a controlling stake in Omni Exploration in the late 1980s. The 1992 Lewex Inc. certificate of dissolution filed with the State of Ohio listed Wexner as President and Jeffrey Epstein as Vice President. [87][91] Several other previously unreported Wexner companies, including PFI Leasing (incorporated 1983, dissolved 1990, also named in the Shapiro Murder File), list Epstein as an officer on dissolution documents. [87] Many of these companies had previously listed Harold Levin, the financial advisor whom Epstein displaced, in officer or director roles. [87]
The state’s response to the report was muted. State of Ohio Inspector General David Sturtz (USian, died) and Franklin County Sheriff Earl Smith pursued investigations of Wexner and later Epstein for public corruption and bribery and for matters connected to Arthur Shapiro’s murder; the file Inspector General Sturtz developed was, according to journalist Bob Fitrakis (USian, born 1955), passed to local journalists shortly before Inspector General Sturtz’s death. [88][93] No Ohio state or federal prosecution of Wexner has resulted. The Columbus Division of Police identified Berry L. Kessler, a former business associate of Arthur Shapiro and unrelated to Wexner partner Jack Kessler, as the prime suspect in the murder. Berry Kessler was never charged and died in prison around 2005 while serving time on unrelated charges. [87] The Arthur Shapiro murder remains officially unsolved.
The Shapiro Murder File became publicly relevant again in February 2026. On February 17, 2026, days before Wexner’s House Oversight Committee deposition, the investigative outlet Front Page Detectives published the full eight-page Leupp memorandum and contextualised it against the FBI’s 2019 internal designation of Wexner as one of ten Epstein co-conspirators. [94] No member of the House Oversight Committee asked Wexner about the Shapiro Murder File or about Edward DeBartolo Sr., Frank Walsh, or the Genovese-LaRocca characterisation during his February 18, 2026 deposition.
The Columbus Police Department’s own analyst, before Epstein had taken full power of attorney over Wexner’s fortune, had concluded in writing that two of Wexner’s named business partners were associates of an organised crime family, that one of those partners was using The Limited’s headquarters as his mailing address, and that the Genovese/LaRocca families “might consider Wexner a friend.” The same Wexner holding companies named in that 1991 memorandum reappear in the late 1980s and 1990s as vehicles in which Epstein was a corporate officer. The memorandum was ordered destroyed by the Columbus Police Chief; the Inspector General who pursued the file is dead; the prime suspect in the underlying murder is dead; the lead victim is dead; and the businessman at the centre of the network has, four decades later, never been criminally charged in connection with any of it.
Leslie Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein The Financial Relationship
In 1986, insurance executive Robert Meister introduced Epstein to Wexner in Palm Beach. [6][29] Epstein was at that time operating a financial advisory firm claiming to serve only clients with a net worth exceeding $1 billion. [30] Epstein had previously taught briefly at the Dalton School in Manhattan after exaggerating his academic credentials, then worked at Bear Stearns under Alan “Ace” Greenberg before establishing his own firm. [31]
Wexner hired Epstein as his personal financial manager in 1987. [4] Wexner’s existing financial advisor, Harold Levin, warned Wexner against trusting Epstein, telling him “I smell a rat.” [32] Epstein then persuaded Wexner that Harold Levin was stealing from him. According to Harold Levin, Epstein’s accusation was false, and Harold Levin resigned after failing to convince Wexner of the danger. [29] A New York Times investigation later reported that Epstein employed a tactic of “sowing fear” in wealthy clients, convincing them that “their finances were a mess, that their advisers and even family members were inept or exploiting them and that only one man could be trusted.” [29]
In July 1991, Wexner granted Epstein full power of attorney. [4][5] The power of attorney allowed Epstein to hire people, sign checks, buy and sell properties, borrow money, sign tax returns, make acquisitions, and perform any legally binding act on Wexner’s behalf. [5][6] Wexner also installed Epstein as a trustee on the board of the Wexner Foundation. [6]
Between 1991 and 2006, Epstein oversaw the sale of more than $1.3 billion in company stock held by trusts controlled by Wexner. [33] During his deposition before Congress in February 2026, Wexner stated that he did not know about these stock sales and was “effing surprised” when informed of them. [33] During the same period, Epstein purchased his Palm Beach mansion and began acquiring luxury properties around the world while managing Wexner’s finances. [29] Epstein also purchased a house adjacent to Wexner’s estate in New Albany, Ohio, for approximately $3.5 million. [4] Both Wexner and Epstein were named president of the New Albany Company in a 1998 state filing. [34] Ghislaine Maxwell stated in a 2025 deposition that Epstein “ran New Albany.” [34]
Wexner has stated that he severed ties with Epstein in 2007, after Epstein’s first arrest in Florida and after discovering that Epstein had “misappropriated vast sums of money” from the Wexner family. [35] An investigative memo from the Epstein files states that Wexner’s attorneys told investigators in 2008 that Epstein had repaid him $100 million, believed to be only a portion of what Epstein had taken. [5] In 2008, Epstein made a $46 million payment to a charitable fund run by Abigail Wexner, which Wexner described as “a portion” of recovered funds and stated that every dollar was “originally Wexner family money.” [4][35] Wexner has refused to reveal the full scope of Epstein’s alleged misappropriation. [4] Emails released in the Epstein files show that Wexner and Epstein remained in contact in 2008, after the date Wexner claims to have severed all ties. [36]
In an opening statement to the Wexner Foundation in August 2019 immediately following Epstein’s arrest, and again in his February 2026 congressional deposition, Wexner described himself as having been “duped by a world-class con man” and characterised the relationship as professional rather than personal. [10][37] When asked at his deposition how he would describe the relationship, Wexner said: “I don’t think I ever went to lunch or dinner, a movie or had a cup of coffee with Jeffrey. I didn’t see Jeffrey as a friend, I saw Jeffrey as I see Matt, my attorney. We’re friendly, but we’re not friends.” [38] Wexner characterised Epstein’s role as that of a “family office manager” handling family finances akin to a fiduciary, “but more than what.” [38]
Leslie Wexner and the Herbert N. Straus House
In 1989, Wexner purchased the Herbert N. Straus House at 9 East 71st Street in Manhattan for $13.2 million, then a record for townhouse sales in the city. [7][39] The seven-story French neoclassical mansion, designed by architect Horace Trumbauer (USian, born December 28, 1868, Philadelphia; died September 18, 1938, Philadelphia), was built for Herbert N. Straus (USian, born 1881; died 1933), an heir to the R.H. Macy & Co. retail fortune. [7] Wexner commissioned extensive renovations by architect Thierry Despont and interior designer John Stefanidis. [7][39]
Wexner reportedly spent fewer than two months living in the property. [40] Epstein moved into the house in 1995 and began claiming ownership. [7] The formal chain of corporate transfers is as follows. On August 25, 1989, Nine East 71st Street Corporation was registered as a New York domestic business corporation with Epstein listed as CEO. [41] In 1998, the property was transferred from Nine East 71st Street Corp. to NES LLC, a new limited liability company. [41] In 2011, NES LLC transferred the mansion to Maple Inc., a US Virgin Islands entity, for zero dollars in recorded consideration. [41][42] Epstein signed the transaction documents for both sides of this final transfer. [41][42]
During his February 2026 congressional deposition, Wexner testified: “Contrary to rumour, I did not give Epstein the New York townhouse; he purchased it from me for what I was told was the appraised value.” [40] Wexner stated he never set foot in the house again after moving out. [40] In response to the March 2026 civil lawsuit, Wexner’s spokesperson stated that “Mr. Wexner sold the New York townhouse to Epstein for $20 million in 1998.” [11] The plaintiffs in that lawsuit allege that the transfer of the property gave Epstein the premises in which to commit acts of gender-motivated violence against the eleven women who are suing. [12]
The mansion became the site of numerous alleged sexual assaults. The FBI raided the property in July 2019 and discovered thousands of photographs of nude and partially nude girls, at least one of whom was identified as a minor. [43] Agents also found an expired Austrian passport bearing Epstein’s photograph under a different name, with a Saudi Arabian address. [43] In March 2021, the house was sold for $51 million, with proceeds going to the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program. [44]
Leslie Wexner and the Boeing 727
Between 1990 and 2001, the Boeing 727-100 aircraft later known as the “Lolita Express” (registration N908JE) was registered to entities controlled by Wexner. [6] Wexner transferred the aircraft to Epstein around 2001. During his February 2026 deposition, Wexner testified that “Epstein purchased a plane from L Brands for market value.” [11] The aircraft was configured as a luxury private jet with a 29-passenger VIP interior, a bedroom, and a Bloomberg terminal. [45] Epstein logged approximately 600 flight hours per year on the aircraft. [45] The plane was used to transport guests between Epstein’s properties in New York, Palm Beach, New Mexico, Paris, and the US Virgin Islands. [45] Multiple victims have stated that the aircraft was used to transport them to locations where sexual abuse occurred. [45]
Leslie Wexner and Victoria’s Secret: Epstein’s Exploitation of the Brand
In the mid-1990s, several executives of L Brands reported to Wexner that Epstein was misrepresenting himself as a recruiter for Victoria’s Secret models. [6][29] Wexner has not publicly explained what action, if any, he took in response to these reports. During his February 2026 deposition, Wexner testified that he had heard one such report and that Epstein denied the accusation when confronted. Wexner testified he “never” introduced Epstein to models. [46]
In 1997, aspiring model Alicia Arden (USian) filed a police report in Los Angeles alleging that Epstein had presented himself as a recruiter for Victoria’s Secret, met her in a hotel room, and attempted to undress and “manhandle” her. [6][47] In 1996, artist Maria Farmer reported to the FBI that Epstein had stolen photographs depicting her 12- and 16-year-old sisters while she was serving as an artist-in-residence at Wexner’s Ohio property. [6][48]
The New York Times reported in February 2020 that Wexner and his former chief marketing officer, Edward Razek (USian), had presided over an entrenched culture of misogyny, bullying, and harassment at Victoria’s Secret. [49] Victoria’s Secret models reported unwanted touching and kissing from Edward Razek, and executives stated that they alerted Wexner about Edward Razek’s behaviour, but Wexner took no action. [50] Edward Razek departed the company in 2019. [49]
Leslie Wexner and Maria Farmer
Maria Farmer (USian, born 1969, Paducah, Kentucky) is an artist and the earliest known individual to report Epstein’s abuse to law enforcement. [51] Maria Farmer met Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at her graduate art gallery reception at the New York Academy of Art in 1995. [51][52] Epstein hired Maria Farmer to work the front desk of the Manhattan townhouse, where she observed Ghislaine Maxwell “regularly bringing school-aged girls to the mansion” who “were always escorted upstairs.” [51][52]
In May 1996, Epstein arranged for Maria Farmer to serve as an artist-in-residence at a 10,600 square foot guest home on Wexner’s property in New Albany, Ohio, to complete large-scale paintings commissioned for the film As Good as It Gets. [51][52] Maria Farmer has stated that the property was “guarded by armed security personnel” and that she was “required to call Wexner’s wife, Abigail, for permission to leave the property.” [51][52][53]
Maria Farmer stated in a sworn affidavit that during the last of several visits Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell made to the Ohio property that summer, they “asked me to come into a bedroom with them and then proceeded to sexually assault me against my will.” [51][53] Maria Farmer stated that she barricaded herself in a room, called her family and mentor, and attempted to contact authorities. She alleges that when she tried to leave, Wexner security personnel told her, “You’re not going anywhere. You are never leaving.” [53][54] Maria Farmer was held on the property for approximately 12 hours until her father, Frank Farmer, drove from Kentucky to collect her. [51][53]
Maria Farmer reported the assault to the NYPD Sixth Precinct in August 1996. [51] The NYPD referred her to the FBI because the incident occurred out of state. [51] Maria Farmer also called the Franklin County sheriff’s office; she recalled being told, “We work for Wexner.” [53] Her FBI complaint, listed under child pornography, was released as part of the Epstein files in 2025. [48] Federal authorities did not open a full investigation until 2006. [51]
Wexner and Abigail Wexner have stated through a spokesperson that they “had no knowledge” of Maria Farmer, “never met her, never spoke with her.” [53][55] During the February 2026 deposition, Wexner told Congress: “I didn’t know she was here, so I didn’t know s— about her.” [54] Maria Farmer responded in a public statement that Wexner’s “downplaying of his relationship with Epstein is abhorrent.” [48]
Maria Farmer has alleged that Ghislaine Maxwell subsequently threatened her life, telling her, “You’re going out to jog on the West Side Highway every day, and I know this. You need to be very careful because there are so many ways to die there.” [56] Maria Farmer stated that Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell called her clients and contacts in the art world in an effort to destroy her career and credibility. [51][56] Maria Farmer stopped painting for twenty years as a result. [51]
Leslie Wexner and the Mega Group
In 1991, Wexner and Charles Bronfman (Canadian, born June 27, 1931, Montreal) co-founded the Study Group, an informal organisation of wealthy USian and Canadian Jewish businessmen that became more widely known as the Mega Group. [57][58] The Mega Group met twice yearly for seminars on philanthropy and Judaism. [57] A 1998 Wall Street Journal report described it as “a loosely organised club of 20 of the nation’s wealthiest and most influential Jewish businessmen.” [57][58]
Known members included Edgar Bronfman Sr. (Canadian-USian, born June 20, 1929, Montreal; died December 21, 2013, New York City), Max Fisher (USian, born July 15, 1908, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; died March 3, 2005, Detroit), Michael Steinhardt (USian, born December 7, 1940, Brooklyn), Leonard Abramson (USian), Laurence Tisch (USian, born March 5, 1923, Brooklyn; died November 15, 2003, New York City), Harvey “Bud” Meyerhoff (USian), and Charles Schusterman (USian, born 1935; died 2000). [57][58] Steven Spielberg (USian, born December 18, 1946, Cincinnati, Ohio) spoke at a 1998 meeting about his personal religious journey. [22][57]
The Mega Group inspired the creation of several philanthropic initiatives, including the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, Birthright Israel, and the upgrading of Hillel International. [22][57] As a pro-Israel lobby group, the Mega Group also engaged Republican political consultant Frank Luntz in 2003 to help mobilise support for Israel. [57] Wexner also served on the board of directors of Hollinger International alongside Henry Kissinger (German-born USian, born May 27, 1923, Fürth, Germany; died November 29, 2023, Kent, Connecticut) until 2002. [29]
The last known meeting of the Mega Group occurred at the Manhattan mansion of Edgar Bronfman Sr. on May 3-4, 2001. [58]
Leslie Wexner and the Wexner Foundation
Wexner established the Wexner Foundation to strengthen Jewish leadership in North America and Israel. [59] The foundation’s Wexner Israel Fellowship Program annually selects ten Israeli public servants for a yearlong Master in Public Administration program at Harvard University. [59] More than 135 Israeli government officials, including individuals holding high offices across government ministries and the Israel Defense Forces, have participated in the program. [59]
Epstein served as a trustee on the Wexner Foundation board, although Wexner stated that Epstein “had no executive responsibilities in the running of the Foundation.” [35] Wexner Foundation funds were later connected to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak (Israeli, born February 12, 1942, Mishmar HaSharon, Mandatory Palestine), who subsequently partnered with Epstein in business ventures. [31] The Wexner Foundation is a named co-defendant in the March 2026 civil lawsuit brought by eleven Epstein survivors. [12]
Leslie Wexner and the L Brands Shareholder Litigation
In January 2021, L Brands shareholders filed a derivative lawsuit in the Court of Chancery of Delaware alleging that Wexner, Edward Razek, and other board members had created an “entrenched culture of misogyny, bullying, and harassment” at Victoria’s Secret, had been aware of crimes committed by Epstein, and had breached their fiduciary duties to the company. [6][49][60] The complaint also named Abigail Wexner and former marketing officer Edward Razek. [6]
On July 30, 2021, L Brands agreed to a $90 million settlement to resolve derivative lawsuits combining Ohio and Delaware actions. [6][60] Under the settlement, Victoria’s Secret & Co. and Bath & Body Works each committed to invest $45 million over at least five years to fund governance and workplace reforms, including the elimination of non-disclosure agreements tied to sexual harassment claims. [60][61] Wexner and Abigail Wexner ended all of their positions with L Brands as part of the resolution. [61] The court granted final approval of the settlement on May 16, 2022. [61]
Leslie Wexner and the 2026 Congressional Investigation
Following the passage of the November 2025 Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Department of Justice released more than 3 million pages of Epstein-related files on January 30, 2026. [10][16] Wexner’s name appears more than 1,000 times in the released documents. [10] Attorney General Pam Bondi (USian, born November 17, 1965, Tampa, Florida) told Congress that Wexner’s name appears more than 4,000 times across the full Epstein files including those not yet public. [36]
In February 2026, Republican Representative Thomas Massie (USian, born January 26, 1971, Huntington, West Virginia) of Kentucky revealed at a House Judiciary Committee hearing that a 2019 FBI internal document, previously redacted, listed Wexner as one of Epstein’s “10 co-conspirators” alongside Ghislaine Maxwell, Darren Indyke, Richard Kahn, Jean-Luc Brunel, and Lesley Groff. [6][16] The Department of Justice unredacted Wexner’s name within 40 minutes of Representative Massie raising the issue. [10] The same FBI document noted there was “limited evidence of his involvement.” [17]
In January 2026, Wexner was subpoenaed by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. [10] The deposition was originally scheduled for Washington but was relocated to Wexner’s New Albany estate at his request. [62] On February 18, 2026, Wexner was deposed for approximately five hours by five Democratic representatives (Robert Garcia of California, Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Dave Min of California, and Yassamin Ansari of Arizona) and Republican committee staff. No Republican members of Congress attended in person. [10][62] The full video of the deposition was released by the committee on February 19. [38]
In his prepared statement, Wexner told Congress: “To my enormous embarrassment and regret I, like many others, was duped by a world-class con man. I cannot undo that part of my personal history even as I regret ever having met him.” [10] Wexner characterised the relationship as professional, not personal, and repeatedly stated that Epstein was not his friend. [62][63]
When shown a photograph of himself with his arm around Epstein holding a champagne glass, Wexner said the photo was taken in Bremen, Germany while launching his boat. [63] When confronted with his handwritten contribution to Epstein’s 50th birthday book (dated January 20, 2003), which included a drawing of breasts with a message reading “Dear Jeffrey. I wanted to get you what you want, so here it is…” signed “Happy birthday your friend Leslie,” Wexner admitted writing the message but said it was intended as a joke, adding, “He was a bachelor, so I drew a pair of boobs as a joke.” [63] Staffers pointed out that Wexner had repeatedly said Epstein was not his friend, yet he signed the card “your friend.” [63]
Wexner admitted that he and Abigail Wexner visited Epstein’s island with their children but stated they stayed “about an hour” and saw no young girls or prominent figures. Wexner described it as “a pretty crummy island.” [63] Wexner could not recall how long after meeting Epstein for the first time he had hired him. [38] Asked about Donald Trump’s appearance at Victoria’s Secret runway shows, Wexner said he found it “odd” because Trump “wasn’t engaged in fashion.” [62]
Wexner’s attorney, Michael Levy, was observed whispering to Wexner during the deposition. At one point, Michael Levy was heard saying, “I’ll f—ing kill you if you answer another question with more than five words.” [63] Former federal prosecutor Subodh Chandra called the live coaching “completely improper.” [64]
Democratic members expressed open scepticism after the deposition. Representative Stephen Lynch stated: “There is no question in my mind, given the evidence so far, that Les Wexner knew about this and failed to stop it.” [10][36] Representative Robert Garcia stated: “There would be no Epstein island, there’d be no Epstein plane, there would be no money to traffic women and girls, Mr. Epstein would not be the wealthy man he was, without the support of Les Wexner.” [8] Representative Dave Min stated that Wexner’s claim of ignorance was “just not credible.” [10] Representative Jasmine Crockett said it was “almost inconceivable to be missing the amounts of money that are missing and somehow Mr. Wexner had no idea.” [10]
Wexner’s spokesperson stated after the deposition that Wexner “honestly answered every question put to him today by the Committee” and “reiterated that he has no knowledge of, and did not participate in, Epstein’s illegal conduct.” [10]
Ghislaine Maxwell, deposed by the same committee one week before Wexner, invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refused to answer questions. [37]
Leslie Wexner and the March 2026 Civil Lawsuit
On March 6, 2026, eleven Epstein survivors filed a civil lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court against Wexner, the Wexner Foundation, and the Nine East 71st Street Corporation. [11][12] The plaintiffs are ten named women and one anonymous plaintiff from New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. [65] Three of the plaintiffs were 17 years old at the time of the alleged abuse. [12] The lawsuit was filed under New York City’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act, a statute that empowers survivors of gender-based violence to initiate civil lawsuits against perpetrators or institutions that may have facilitated the abuse. [66]
The complaint alleges that Wexner gave Epstein more than $200 million between 1987 and 2007 “that Epstein used to build his sex trafficking network and commit acts of gender-motivated violence” against the plaintiffs at 9 East 71st Street between 2000 and 2016. [12] The complaint quotes Representative Robert Garcia’s deposition statement that Epstein could not have committed his crimes without access to Wexner’s fortune. [13] Recent filings indicate the case will be transferred to federal court in the Southern District of New York. [13]
A spokesperson for Wexner stated: “The Wexners have tremendous sympathy for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s horrendous crimes. The complaint, however, fails to state any factual basis for asserting a claim against Mr. Wexner.” [12] On the $200 million figure, the spokesperson said: “The allegation in the complaint that Mr. Wexner ‘gave Epstein approximately $200 million over the course of twenty years’ is untrue. Mr. Wexner paid Epstein for wealth management services and had no knowledge of Epstein’s wrongdoing. It is well documented that Mr. Wexner sold the New York townhouse to Epstein for $20 million in 1998. Further, Mr. Wexner testified that Epstein purchased a plane from L Brands for market value.” [11]
Survivors also accuse the Nine East 71st Street Corporation of facilitating Epstein’s abuse. The corporation was established by Wexner in 1989 to purchase the Manhattan mansion at the corporation’s namesake address, with Epstein listed as CEO. Property records show Wexner sold the property to Epstein in 1998 for $20 million. [46] Each of the survivors in the lawsuit describes being assaulted at the New York home between 2000 and 2016, and alleges that Wexner’s relationship to the property and to Epstein allowed the abuse to unfold. [46]
Survivors further allege that Wexner “knew or should have known” Epstein was using his ties to Victoria’s Secret to connect with young women and assault them. [46]
Leslie Wexner and Mark Landon: The Ohio State Investigation
On February 9, 2026, files released as part of the January 30, 2026 Department of Justice tranche revealed that Mark B. Landon (USian), the chair of Ohio State University’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the doctor who delivered the Wexner children, received quarterly payments of between $25,000 and $30,000 from Epstein’s New York Strategy Group between 2001 and 2005. [14][67][68] The payments amounted to approximately $100,000 per year. [14]
Multiple documents in the released files name Mark Landon, including FedEx invoices showing overnight envelopes sent to Landon from Darren Indyke, the New York attorney who served as an executor of Epstein’s estate. [69] An email exchange between Darren Indyke and Epstein dated January 4, 2006 details that “Landon’s agreement requires quarterly payments of $30k to be made to Landon on the 15th of January, April, July and October.” [67] An additional email shows Epstein writing that they were paying Landon $75,000 a year. [67] The New York Strategy Group operated out of 457 Madison Avenue in New York, the same address as the Ghislaine Corporation, the entity likely named for Ghislaine Maxwell. [14]
Mark Landon issued a written statement: “I was a paid consultant for the New York Strategy Group regarding potential biotech investments from 2001 to 2005. I had no knowledge of any criminal activities; I find them reprehensible and I feel terrible for Epstein’s victims.” [67] At his February 2026 congressional deposition, Wexner described Mark Landon as “my wife’s doctor” and stated that Landon delivered the Wexner children. [14] When asked whether Landon had been paid to render medical services to any of Epstein’s victims, Wexner responded: “No.” Wexner also testified that he had never introduced Landon to Epstein. [14] The Epstein files made public to date do not show Landon rendering clinical services on Epstein’s behalf, although they do show other gynaecologists arranging appointments for Epstein-controlled women. [14]
Mark Landon remains employed at Ohio State University. The university recently named a hospital visitor lounge after him on the 23rd floor of the Wexner Medical Center. [70] On April 3, 2026, an Ohio State spokesman confirmed that the university had launched an investigation into the Epstein-Landon arrangement. [14] As of mid-April 2026, the university has declined to provide further detail and Mark Landon has declined to expand on his original statement. [14]
Leslie Wexner and Mike Jeffries
Mike Jeffries (USian, born July 15, 1944, Los Angeles), who served as chairman and chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch from 1992 to 2014, was hired by Wexner during Wexner’s ownership of the brand under Limited Brands. [71][72] On October 22, 2024, Mike Jeffries was arrested at his West Palm Beach home along with his romantic partner Matthew Smith and a third defendant, James Jacobson, on a 16-count federal indictment in the Eastern District of New York charging sex trafficking, interstate prostitution, and related counts. [73] The indictment alleges that the three operated an international sex trafficking and prostitution business from 2008 to 2015, recruiting young men under the pretext of Abercrombie & Fitch modelling opportunities and forcing them to take drugs and engage in sex acts at parties hosted by Mike Jeffries and Matthew Smith in the Hamptons, London, Venice, and elsewhere. [74][75] The indictment names fifteen alleged victims as John Does 1 through 15. [75]
In May 2025, US District Judge Nusrat Choudhury ordered Mike Jeffries hospitalised after finding him incompetent to stand trial. [76] In December 2025, the Federal Medical Center Butner reported his competency restored. [76] In March 2026 a competency hearing was held with conflicting expert testimony. [77] Trial for all three defendants is scheduled to begin October 26, 2026, with Mike Jeffries’s case proceeding only if he is ultimately deemed competent. [77]
Brad Edwards of the law firm Edwards Henderson, which represents several Mike Jeffries plaintiffs and previously represented Epstein victims, told ABC News: “This was an Abercrombie-run sex trafficking organisation that permeated throughout the company and allowed the three individuals arrested today to victimise dozens and dozens of young, aspiring male models.” [75] The pattern, in which young people were lured to a remote private location for what they believed was a modelling interview, drugged, and abused, mirrors the documented Epstein pattern. The Wall Street Journal noted that Mike Jeffries was hired by Wexner the same year Mike Jeffries took over Abercrombie & Fitch. [71]
Leslie Wexner and Richard Strauss
On February 11, 2026, US District Court Judge Michael Watson denied a motion to quash a subpoena, ordering Wexner to testify in the federal lawsuit brought by survivors of sexual abuse by Richard Strauss (USian, born December 23, 1938, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania; died July 11, 2005, Mill Valley, California), the former Ohio State University team doctor who is documented as having sexually abused at least 177 students between 1979 and 1998. [78] Strauss’s tenure overlapped with Wexner’s time as a member and later chair of the Ohio State University Board of Trustees. Approximately half of the Strauss survivor plaintiffs have settled with Ohio State; many continue to sue. [78]
Judge Watson wrote that the plaintiffs are entitled to discover what Wexner knew about Strauss and when he knew it, and pointed to the plaintiffs’ arguments that Wexner’s testimony may illuminate what the board did to monitor Ohio State’s sexual harassment compliance. [78] The judge also pointed to the plaintiffs’ interest in determining whether Wexner or the board had knowledge of the Strauss allegations during the years they unfolded, on the basis that this could serve as evidence of Ohio State’s deliberate indifference. [78]
Wexner had previously fought the Strauss subpoena, in contrast to his stated cooperation with the congressional Epstein subpoena. [79] The Wexner Strauss-case deposition has not yet been publicly scheduled.
Leslie Wexner and the Building Naming Controversy
As of mid-April 2026, Ohio State University had received more than 400 requests to remove the Wexner name from campus buildings. [15] The Wexner name appears on three Ohio State buildings: the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (renamed in 2012), the Wexner Center for the Arts (named for Wexner’s father Harry), and the Les Wexner Football Complex at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. [15] Abigail Wexner’s name is also on a building at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. [15]
The Ohio Nurses Association picketed outside the new 26-story Wexner Medical Center tower on its first day of operation, February 22, 2026. [80] Knowlton School of Architecture students unfurled a four-storey banner from the rooftop patio of Knowlton Hall on March 8, 2026 that read “Oust Wexner” and “Wexner is in the files 1,322 times.” [81] Survivors of the Strauss abuse have filed parallel name-removal requests at the Football Complex. [82] Ohio state Senator Bill DeMora (Democrat of Columbus) has joined the calls. [15]
Ohio State has declined to act, citing a 2022 procedural rule under which name-change requests proceed through a five-step internal review managed by a Standing Advisory Committee for the Review of University Space and Entity Names. [15] An earlier request to rename the Football Complex was denied. [82] Ravi Bellamkonda (USian-Indian), Ohio State’s new president following the March 9, 2026 resignation of Ted Carter over an “inappropriate relationship,” has stated that “the process is thorough, fair, and open.” [82]
The Wexner Foundation made a $2.5 million donation in 2007 leading to the naming of the Football Complex; an additional $5 million was split with an Epstein-run foundation toward the construction of the complex. [82] The university has confirmed that no contracts tie any of the three Wexner-named buildings to specific donations. [82]
A parallel name-removal effort is in progress at the Harvard Kennedy School, where students and faculty have targeted the Leslie H. Wexner Building. [82] The Wexners have given approximately $42 million to the Harvard Kennedy School. [82]
The Broader Political Crisis
The Wexner file cannot be read in isolation from the wider collapse of the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein record in early 2026, the period during which the FBI co-conspirator document naming Wexner became public.
On April 2, 2026, Donald Trump dismissed Pam Bondi as Attorney General. [83] On March 14, 2026, the House Oversight Committee, chaired by James Comer (USian, born November 19, 1972, Carthage, Tennessee, Republican of Kentucky), had subpoenaed Pam Bondi to appear for a deposition on April 14, 2026. [83] On April 8, 2026, the Department of Justice notified the committee that Pam Bondi would not appear under the subpoena because she no longer held the office in which it had been served. [83] Pam Bondi did not appear on April 14, 2026.
In the days surrounding Wexner’s February 18, 2026 deposition, Pam Bondi publicly downplayed the Epstein files at a Washington press event by pointing to the strength of the stock market: “The Dow is over 50,000 right now. The S&P at almost 7,000, and the Nasdaq smashing records.” [62] Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated on February 2, 2026 that there would be no additional prosecutions related to Jeffrey Epstein, notwithstanding the volume of material released. [84] Representatives Ro Khanna (USian, born September 13, 1976, Philadelphia, Democrat of California) and Thomas Massie have indicated they would consider contempt or impeachment proceedings against senior officials if compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act did not improve. [84]
The context in which Wexner now operates is one in which the Department of Justice has publicly declined to bring further charges arising from the Epstein files; the Attorney General who oversaw the release has been dismissed and has refused congressional testimony; and the documentary record of Wexner’s relationship with Epstein has been substantially fleshed out by the released files, by his own deposition, and by the March 2026 civil lawsuit.
Leslie Wexner and Virginia Giuffre
In court documents related to the Ghislaine Maxwell case, Virginia Giuffre (USian, born August 9, 1983, Sacramento, California; died April 25, 2025, Neergabby, Western Australia) claimed that Wexner was among the men Epstein trafficked her to. [5][85] During a deposition in the Maxwell case, witnesses were asked about Wexner by attorneys for Virginia Giuffre. One witness stated she never met Wexner, and Ghislaine Maxwell testified that a woman was never provided “sexual outfits” to wear for Wexner. [86]
During his February 2026 deposition, Wexner testified to “utter devotion” to his wife Abigail Wexner in response to Virginia Giuffre’s allegations. [5] Wexner has never been charged in connection with Virginia Giuffre’s claims. According to Brad Edwards, “there is no evidence to suggest that Wexner was in Epstein’s company at the time of his crimes.” [6][16]
Virginia Giuffre died on April 25, 2025 at her home in Neergabby, Western Australia. Her death was ruled a suicide by Western Australian police.
Key Connections and Associations
DIRECT CONTACT: Jeffrey Epstein (USian, born January 20, 1953, Brooklyn; died August 10, 2019, Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York City). Financial manager and power-of-attorney holder for Wexner from 1987 to 2007. Convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution in Florida (2008). Charged with sex trafficking of minors in the Southern District of New York (2019). Died in custody before trial; death ruled suicide. Wexner was Epstein’s primary client and the principal source of Epstein’s wealth and social credibility. [4][30]
DIRECT CONTACT: Abigail Wexner, née Koppel (USian, born December 1961, New York City). Wexner’s wife since January 23, 1993. Lawyer, Davis Polk & Wardwell 1987-1992. Recipient of $46 million from Epstein in 2008 to a charitable fund she ran, characterised by Wexner as partial restitution. Co-defendant alongside Wexner in the 2021 L Brands shareholder derivative action. Maria Farmer alleges that during Maria Farmer’s 1996 stay at the Wexner Ohio property she was required to ask Abigail Wexner’s permission to leave. [23][51]
DIRECT CONTACT (sexual assault complainant): Maria Farmer (USian, born 1969, Paducah, Kentucky). Artist, the earliest known individual to report Epstein’s abuse to law enforcement. Reported assault by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Wexner’s New Albany Ohio property in summer 1996. Reported the assault to NYPD and FBI. Held at the property for approximately 12 hours by Wexner security personnel after attempting to leave. Has stated that the Franklin County sheriff’s office told her “we work for Wexner” when she called them from the property. Now a co-defendant signatory in the March 2026 civil lawsuit context although not formally named as plaintiff. [51][53]
ONE DEGREE OF SEPARATION, via Jeffrey Epstein: Ghislaine Maxwell (British, born December 25, 1961, Maisons-Laffitte, France). Convicted of sex trafficking of a minor (December 2021); serving twenty-year federal sentence. Described Wexner as once being Epstein’s “closest friend” in a 2025 deposition. Maria Farmer alleges Ghislaine Maxwell sexually assaulted her at Wexner’s Ohio property alongside Epstein. Invoked the Fifth Amendment when deposed by the House Oversight Committee one week before Wexner. [37][51]
DIRECT CONTACT: Edward Razek (USian). Former chief marketing officer and executive at L Brands. Named in the 2021 L Brands shareholder lawsuits for presiding over a culture of harassment at Victoria’s Secret. Departed the company in 2019 amid allegations of personally harassing and assaulting women associated with the company. [49][50]
DIRECT CONTACT: Mark B. Landon (USian). Chair of Ohio State University’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology since 1987. Delivered the Wexner children. Received quarterly payments of $25,000 to $30,000 from Epstein’s New York Strategy Group, 2001-2005, totalling approximately $100,000 a year. Subject of an Ohio State University investigation announced April 3, 2026. Denies any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities. [14][67]
DIRECT CONTACT: Mike Jeffries (USian, born July 15, 1944, Los Angeles). CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch 1992-2014, hired by Wexner. Arrested October 22, 2024 on a 16-count federal indictment in the Eastern District of New York charging sex trafficking, interstate prostitution, and related counts. Trial scheduled October 26, 2026 if his competency to stand trial is upheld at a final hearing. [73][74][75]
DIRECT CONTACT: Robert Meister (USian). Insurance executive who introduced Epstein to Wexner in 1986 in Palm Beach. [6][29]
DIRECT CONTACT: Harold Levin (USian). Wexner’s former financial advisor who warned Wexner against trusting Epstein, telling him “I smell a rat.” Resigned after Epstein convinced Wexner that Harold Levin was stealing from him. [29][32]
DIRECT CONTACT (mentor): A. Alfred Taubman (USian, born January 31, 1924, Pontiac, Michigan; died April 17, 2015, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan). Shopping mall developer and longtime mentor to Wexner. The two partnered on deals involving Taubman’s malls. Convicted in 2002 of conspiracy to fix commissions at Sotheby’s auction house. [22]
DIRECT CONTACT: Charles Bronfman (Canadian, born June 27, 1931, Montreal). Co-founded the Mega Group with Wexner in 1991. [57]
DIRECT CONTACT (legal counsel): Mary Jo White (USian, born December 27, 1947, Kansas City, Missouri). Former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Debevoise & Plimpton attorney. Retained by Wexner as criminal defence counsel following Epstein’s 2019 arrest. [6]
DIRECT CONTACT (legal counsel): Michael Levy (USian). Wexner’s attorney during the February 2026 House Oversight Committee deposition, observed live-coaching Wexner in violation of standard deposition practice. [63]
ONE DEGREE OF SEPARATION, via Jeffrey Epstein: Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn. Listed alongside Wexner on the FBI’s 2019 list of potential Epstein co-conspirators. Both served as officers of NES LLC, the corporate entity that held the Herbert N. Straus House. Co-executors of Epstein’s estate. Darren Indyke wrote internal Epstein emails authorising payments to Mark Landon. [6][16][67]
ONE DEGREE OF SEPARATION, via Jeffrey Epstein: Lesley Groff (USian). Epstein’s longtime assistant. Listed on the FBI’s 2019 co-conspirator list alongside Wexner. [6]
ONE DEGREE OF SEPARATION, via Jeffrey Epstein: Jean-Luc Brunel (French, born November 19, 1946, Paris; died February 19, 2022, La Santé Prison, Paris). Modelling agent and procurer of young women for Epstein. Listed on the FBI’s 2019 co-conspirator list alongside Wexner. Died by suicide while awaiting trial in Paris. [6][16]
ONE DEGREE OF SEPARATION, via Jeffrey Epstein: Ehud Barak (Israeli, born February 12, 1942, Mishmar HaSharon, Mandatory Palestine). Former Prime Minister of Israel. Wexner Foundation funds were connected to Ehud Barak, who subsequently partnered with Epstein in business ventures. [31]
CIVIL DEFENDANT (with Wexner): Wexner Foundation. Co-defendant in the March 2026 civil lawsuit brought by eleven Epstein survivors. Provided platform on which Epstein served as a trustee. [12]
CIVIL DEFENDANT (with Wexner): Nine East 71st Street Corporation. Co-defendant in the March 2026 civil lawsuit. Established by Wexner in 1989 to purchase the Manhattan mansion at the corporation’s namesake address, with Epstein listed as CEO. [11][12]
Current Status
Wexner resides on a 336-acre Georgian-inspired estate in New Albany, Ohio, valued at approximately $47 million. [22] Wexner also owns Foxcote House in Warwickshire, England, which he has held since 1997. [22] Wexner holds the title of chair emeritus of Bath & Body Works, Inc. and chairs the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Board. [3][22] As of April 20, 2026, multiple elected officials and community groups have called for Wexner’s name to be removed from Ohio State University buildings, including the Wexner Medical Center; Ohio State has received more than 400 such requests; the university has not acted. [15][82]
Wexner has never been charged with a crime. Wexner’s name appears more than 1,000 times across the publicly released Epstein files, and Pam Bondi has stated it appears more than 4,000 times across the full files. [5][10][36] The House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Wexner’s role in Epstein’s network remains ongoing. [10][62] Wexner’s former IT contractor told the FBI that “Les Wexner was always #1 speed dial on all of Epstein’s phones.” [43]
The state of New Mexico has reopened its investigation into alleged illegal activity at Epstein’s former Zorro Ranch. [5] Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew (British, born February 19, 1960, Buckingham Palace, London), was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over ties to Epstein. [5] These parallel proceedings may produce testimony or evidence bearing on Wexner’s knowledge and conduct.
The March 2026 civil lawsuit by eleven Epstein survivors against Wexner, the Wexner Foundation, and the Nine East 71st Street Corporation is being transferred to federal court in the Southern District of New York. [13] No trial date has been publicly announced. The Strauss-case deposition under Judge Michael Watson’s February 11, 2026 order has not been scheduled. [78] The Mike Jeffries federal trial in the Eastern District of New York is scheduled to begin October 26, 2026. [77]
Outstanding questions for investigators include: the full amount Epstein misappropriated from Wexner; the reconciliation between Wexner’s deposition testimony that he sold the New York townhouse to Epstein for the appraised value, his spokesperson’s March 2026 statement that the sale was for $20 million in 1998, and the public property record of a $0 transfer to Maple Inc. in 2011; the reconciliation of Wexner’s account of the Boeing 727 sale at “market value” with the absence of public price documentation; what Wexner knew about Epstein’s use of the Victoria’s Secret brand to recruit victims; what Abigail Wexner knew about Maria Farmer’s presence and alleged captivity at the Wexner estate in 1996; why Wexner’s security staff prevented Maria Farmer from leaving the property after she reported an assault; the basis for Mark Landon’s $100,000-a-year retainer from the New York Strategy Group; and whether Wexner exercised any oversight role in the years his hired Abercrombie & Fitch CEO was operating what federal prosecutors allege was an international sex trafficking and prostitution business out of the company’s modelling pipeline.
Timeline
September 8, 1937. Leslie Herbert Wexner born in Dayton, Ohio. [20]
1951. Harry Louis Wexner and Bella Wexner open “Leslie’s” clothing store in Columbus, Ohio. [21]
1959. Wexner graduates from Ohio State University with a business degree. [20]
1963. Wexner opens The Limited in Upper Arlington, Ohio, with a $5,000 loan from his aunt. [20]
1969. The Limited goes public on the NYSE. [22]
1975. Harry Louis Wexner dies. [19]
1978. Wexner acquires Mast Industries. [21]
1982. Wexner purchases Victoria’s Secret from Roy Raymond for $1 million. [20]
1986. Robert Meister introduces Epstein to Wexner in Palm Beach. [6][29]
1987. Wexner hires Epstein as his personal financial manager. Harold Levin warns Wexner against the arrangement. [29][32]
1988. Epstein founds J. Epstein & Company. [30] Wexner acquires Abercrombie & Fitch.
1989. Wexner purchases the Herbert N. Straus House at 9 East 71st Street, Manhattan, for $13.2 million. [7][39] Nine East 71st Street Corporation registered with Epstein as CEO. [41]
1990. Bath & Body Works launched under L Brands.
July 1991. Wexner grants Epstein full power of attorney. [4][5] Wexner and Charles Bronfman co-found the Mega Group. [57]
1992. Mike Jeffries hired as CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch under Wexner’s ownership. [71]
January 23, 1993. Wexner marries Abigail Koppel in New Albany, Ohio. [23]
1995. Epstein moves into the Herbert N. Straus House. [7]
Mid-1990s. L Brands executives report to Wexner that Epstein is posing as a Victoria’s Secret recruiter. [6][29]
Summer 1996. Maria Farmer alleges sexual assault by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Wexner’s Ohio property. Maria Farmer reports the assault to NYPD and FBI. No action taken. [51][53]
1997. Alicia Arden files police report alleging Epstein posed as Victoria’s Secret recruiter and assaulted her. [6][47]
1998. Wexner sells Nine East 71st Street Corp. to NES LLC. Wexner spokesperson states the sale price was $20 million. [11][41][42]
2001. Bella Wexner dies. [19] Last known meeting of the Mega Group. [58] Mark Landon begins receiving quarterly payments from Epstein’s New York Strategy Group. [67]
January 20, 2003. Wexner contributes a handwritten birthday message with a drawing of breasts to Epstein’s 50th birthday book, signed “your friend Leslie.” [63]
2005. Mark Landon’s last documented quarterly payments from the New York Strategy Group. [67]
2006. Epstein arrested in Palm Beach on sex-related charges involving a minor. [6]
2007. Wexner claims to have severed all ties with Epstein, revoked power of attorney, and removed Epstein from bank accounts. [4][35][36] Wexner Foundation makes $2.5 million donation that leads to naming of Les Wexner Football Complex at Ohio State. [82]
2008. Epstein pleads guilty to state charge of soliciting a minor for prostitution in Florida; sentenced to 18 months. [6] Epstein transfers $46 million to Abigail Wexner’s charitable fund. [4][35] Emails show continued contact between Wexner and Epstein. [36]
2011. Ownership of the Herbert N. Straus House formally transferred from NES LLC to Maple Inc. (USVI entity) for $0; Epstein signs for both parties. [41][42]
2012. Ohio State University Medical Center renamed the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. [15]
July 2019. Epstein arrested in New York on federal sex trafficking charges. [6] FBI raids the Herbert N. Straus House. [43]
August 2019. Epstein found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. Death ruled suicide. [6] Wexner addresses the Wexner Foundation, claiming Epstein “misappropriated vast sums.” [35] JPMorgan Chase files suspicious activity reports for transactions conducted by Wexner, Glenn Dubin, Leon Black, and Alan Dershowitz, totalling approximately $1 billion. [6]
September 2019. Wexner states at an L Brands investors conference that he was “embarrassed” to have been close to Epstein. [34]
October 2019. Maria Farmer files a federal lawsuit against Epstein’s estate. [51][53]
December 2019. Five former Ohio State wrestlers who survived the Richard Strauss abuse scandal publicly call for investigation of Maria Farmer’s allegations at the Wexner property. [55]
February 2020. New York Times reports on culture of misogyny at Victoria’s Secret under Wexner and Edward Razek. [49] Wexner steps down as CEO of L Brands. [3]
January 2021. L Brands shareholders file derivative lawsuits alleging culture of harassment and knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. [60]
July 30, 2021. L Brands agrees to $90 million settlement. [60][61]
December 2021. Ghislaine Maxwell convicted of sex trafficking and related charges. [6]
October 22, 2024. Mike Jeffries arrested with Matthew Smith and James Jacobson on federal sex trafficking and prostitution charges in the Eastern District of New York. [73][74]
April 25, 2025. Virginia Giuffre dies at her home in Neergabby, Western Australia. Death ruled suicide.
November 2025. Epstein Files Transparency Act passes the US House and Senate. Donald Trump signs into law. [84]
January 30, 2026. Department of Justice releases more than three million pages of Epstein investigation files. Wexner named more than 1,000 times in the public release. [16]
January 2026. Wexner subpoenaed by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. [10]
February 2, 2026. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche states there will be no additional Epstein prosecutions. [84]
February 9, 2026. Released Epstein files reveal Mark Landon’s quarterly payments from Epstein’s New York Strategy Group. [67]
February 10, 2026. Representative Thomas Massie reveals at House Judiciary Committee hearing that the FBI document listing Wexner as a co-conspirator had been redacted. DOJ unredacts within 40 minutes. [10]
February 11, 2026. US District Court Judge Michael Watson denies motion to quash subpoena, ordering Wexner to testify in the federal Strauss case. [78]
February 17, 2026. Ohio Nurses Association sends letter to Ohio State demanding removal of Wexner name from campus buildings. [80]
February 18, 2026. Wexner deposed for approximately five hours at his New Albany estate by five Democratic representatives and Republican committee staff. No Republican members of Congress attend. Ghislaine Maxwell, deposed by the same panel one week earlier, had invoked the Fifth Amendment. [10][37][62]
February 19, 2026. House Oversight Committee releases video of Wexner’s deposition. [38]
February 22, 2026. Ohio Nurses Association picket on first day of opening of new 26-story Wexner Medical Center tower; more than 100 protesters. [80]
February 23, 2026. Ohio State spokesperson confirms more than 300 (later more than 400) name-removal requests received. [15]
March 6, 2026. Eleven Epstein survivors file civil lawsuit against Wexner, the Wexner Foundation, and the Nine East 71st Street Corporation in New York Supreme Court under New York City’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act. [11][12]
March 8, 2026. Knowlton School of Architecture students unfurl four-storey “Oust Wexner” banner from rooftop of Knowlton Hall. [81]
March 9, 2026. Ohio State University President Ted Carter resigns over an “inappropriate relationship.” [82]
March 18, 2026. Ohio State selects Ravi Bellamkonda as new president. [82]
April 1, 2026. Calls amplify at Harvard Kennedy School to remove the Wexner name from the Leslie H. Wexner Building. [82]
April 2, 2026. Donald Trump dismisses Pam Bondi as Attorney General. [83]
April 3, 2026. Ohio Capital Journal reports Ohio State has launched investigation into the Mark Landon-Epstein arrangement. [14]
April 8, 2026. Department of Justice notifies House Oversight Committee that Pam Bondi will not appear under the March 14 subpoena. [83]
April 14, 2026. Pam Bondi does not appear for the House Oversight Committee deposition. [83]
References
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[88] Bob Fitrakis, “Jeffrey Epstein: There’s much more to the story,” Columbus Free Press, June 18, 2020.
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