The reclusive billionaire Les Wexner, architect of the Victoria’s Secret empire and L Brands, granted Jeffrey Epstein unprecedented financial control in a relationship that far exceeded standard client-advisor dynamics, sparking enduring speculation about their enigmatic connection.
Meeting in the mid-1980s through mutual contacts, Wexner—despite warnings from advisors like Harold Levin, who called Epstein a “rat”—hired the financier as his money manager. By July 1991, Wexner executed a power of attorney document, empowering Epstein to hire staff, sign checks, borrow money, buy and sell properties, and handle investments on his behalf with near-total autonomy.
This sweeping authority allowed Epstein to oversee vast aspects of Wexner’s fortune, philanthropy, and real estate, including the transfer of a Manhattan townhouse worth millions for nominal consideration and involvement in Wexner’s New Albany development. Epstein became Wexner’s primary (and often only confirmed) client, amassing his own wealth through fees and alleged misappropriations—Wexner later claimed Epstein stole over $46 million, though no lawsuit followed.
Colleagues expressed bewilderment at Wexner’s trust in the college dropout with a thin résumé. Reports indicate Epstein posed as a Victoria’s Secret recruiter, raising concerns relayed to Wexner, yet the partnership persisted until 2007, when Wexner revoked the power of attorney amid Epstein’s Florida legal troubles.
Recent 2025 document releases, including photos, emails listing Wexner among potential “co-conspirators” (later clarified as non-target), and a lewd 2003 birthday contribution, have reignited scrutiny. Wexner, who cooperated with investigators and denies knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, remains largely silent. The depth of their bond—financial intimacy enabling Epstein’s lifestyle—continues to raise unanswered questions about oversight, influence, and accountability among the elite.
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