Mega Edition: Les Wexner's Best Friend Was Jeffrey Epstein...Until He Forgot Who He Was (2/13/26)

Les Wexner’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was not casual, fleeting, or peripheral. It was foundational. Wexner, the billionaire founder of L Brands and longtime head of Victoria’s Secret, handed Epstein extraordinary financial authority in the late 1980s, granting him sweeping power of attorney over his fortune—an almost unheard-of concession for a man with no formal wealth management credentials and a murky background. Epstein was not just an adviser; he was embedded. He controlled Wexner’s money, managed properties, and reportedly inserted himself into the culture of Wexner’s corporate empire, particularly as it related to the Victoria’s Secret modeling world that conveniently overlapped with Epstein’s trafficking pipeline. The transfer of a Manhattan townhouse—one of the largest private residences in the city—to Epstein for a nominal sum remains one of the most glaring symbols of that patronage. For years, Wexner allowed Epstein to operate under his name and prestige, giving Epstein the legitimacy that opened doors in finance, academia, politics, and philanthropy. Epstein’s entire aura of elite credibility can be traced in large part to the halo effect of Wexner’s wealth and status.


After Epstein’s 2006 arrest and especially following the 2019 federal charges, Wexner abruptly attempted to recast himself as a victim—claiming Epstein had betrayed him, stolen from him, and misled him. He publicly severed ties, issued statements of regret, and emphasized that Epstein had been removed from his financial role years earlier. But that narrative strains credibility. Wexner was not an unsophisticated investor duped by a charming con man; he was one of the most powerful retail magnates in America with access to the best legal and financial minds in the world. The idea that Epstein could operate for years under his authority without scrutiny reflects either willful blindness or a level of negligence that borders on complicity. Wexner’s late-stage distancing felt less like moral clarity and more like reputational triage once the full scope of Epstein’s crimes became undeniable. His patronage built Epstein’s empire. His disavowal came only after the empire collapsed in public view.


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