Les Wexner, the billionaire founder of L Brands and former owner of Victoria’s Secret, delivered a forceful denial Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee, insisting he was “supremely conned” by Jeffrey Epstein and had no knowledge of — or involvement in — the disgraced financier’s sex crimes.
The 88-year-old executive testified in Ohio, describing Epstein as a “world Olympic con artist” who managed his fortune for years before allegedly stealing vast sums. According to a source familiar with the deposition and Wexner’s prepared statement, the retail magnate said he severed ties with Epstein nearly two decades ago after discovering he was “an abuser, a crook and a liar.”
“I completely and irrevocably cut ties with Epstein nearly 20 years ago when I learned that he was an abuser, a crook and a liar,” Wexner said in prepared remarks. “I was never a participant nor co-conspirator in any of Epstein’s illegal activities.”
Epstein, a former Wall Street trader turned money manager, quietly repaid $100 million to the Wexner family in 2007 and 2008 while negotiating with federal authorities before pleading guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. Federal documents later revealed Epstein had purchased properties for Wexner, only to buy them himself at reduced prices — part of what prosecutors described as financial misconduct.
Lawmakers have scrutinized Wexner’s long association with Epstein, particularly after Department of Justice files released in January referenced him nearly 200 times. However, Wexner has maintained that federal investigators viewed him as a source of information, not a target. An FBI email from 2019 noted “limited evidence regarding his involvement,” despite prosecutors initially listing him as a potential co-conspirator after Epstein’s 2019 arrest.
Two members of Congress — Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie — previously suggested Wexner was among six men “likely incriminated” by their ties to Epstein. But subsequent disclosures revealed that four of the other individuals cited were random names in an FBI lineup with no connection to the case.
During his testimony, Wexner also addressed speculation about President Donald Trump. He acknowledged meeting Trump at Victoria’s Secret fashion shows years before Trump’s presidency but said he never saw Trump with Epstein, either publicly or at Epstein’s Palm Beach estate. He stated he did not consider the two men “friends” and said he was never aware of Trump having sex with anyone introduced by Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell.
Wexner further denied that Epstein ever introduced him to women for sexual purposes or that Maxwell — now serving a 20-year prison sentence — had any professional involvement with him. He also rejected claims that Epstein had intelligence ties or acted as a broker connecting powerful figures with underage girls.
Emails released in DOJ files show Epstein continued referencing Wexner in the years before his 2019 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges. One draft letter from Epstein alluded to “gang stuff” spanning over 15 years, while another incoherent 2015 message mentioned “wexner,” “ohio,” and “34 girls.” Wexner has not publicly addressed the meaning of those messages beyond reiterating his lack of knowledge about Epstein’s crimes.
“The other life he led, that we now know was full of unthinkable crimes, he most carefully and fully hid from me,” Wexner said. “He knew that I never would have tolerated his horrible behavior. Not any of it.”
As scrutiny continues and political fallout spreads — including Ohio officials returning campaign donations tied to Wexner — the billionaire remains adamant: he was deceived, financially exploited, and kept in the dark about the crimes that would ultimately define Jeffrey Epstein’s legacy.
