WASHINGTON, Feb 18 - Leslie Wexner, the 88-year-old founder and former CEO of the Victoria’s Secret owner L Brands, acknowledged on Wednesday that he visited the island owned by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein but denied any awareness of Epstein’s criminal behavior.
In written testimony submitted to U.S. lawmakers, Wexner said he "never witnessed nor had any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activity. I was never a participant nor co-conspirator in any of Epstein’s illegal activities." He also told congressional investigators in a closed-door session that lasted six hours that he cut all ties to Epstein nearly 20 years ago.
The U.S. Justice Department’s recent release of millions of internal documents connected to Epstein has illuminated his relationships with numerous prominent individuals both before and after his 2008 guilty plea on prostitution charges, which included soliciting an underage girl. Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019, a death that was ruled a suicide.
Wexner has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing. He said he first hired Epstein as his personal money manager beginning in the 1980s and later accused Epstein of using his money to purchase properties and goods. Wexner said he severed ties around 2007, following Epstein’s first criminal charge.
Describing his reaction to his association with Epstein, Wexner wrote: "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." He added that Epstein stole "vast sums" from his family and that once he learned of Epstein’s abusive conduct and the theft, he never spoke to him again.
Wexner also recounted a single visit to Epstein’s island. He said the stop occurred shortly after Epstein purchased the property, when Wexner, his wife and their children briefly stopped there for a few hours while on a cruise aboard their boat.
The exchange with lawmakers included sharp criticism from members of the House oversight panel. U.S. Representative Robert Garcia, the top-ranking Democrat on that panel, said: "there was no single person that was more involved in providing Jeffrey Epstein with the financial support to commit his crimes than Les Wexner."
Wexner’s appearance before congressional investigators follows increased scrutiny after the release of internal documents that detailed Epstein’s associations over many years. Wexner emphasized his separation from Epstein well before the financier’s later legal troubles and reiterated that he had no involvement in Epstein’s illegal actions.
Context and implications
Wexner’s testimony and questioning come as part of a broader review by federal authorities and congressional investigators into Epstein’s network and financial relationships. While Wexner denies any wrongdoing, the newly released documents and testimony have prompted renewed public and legislative attention on how Epstein’s relationships were formed and maintained.