Leslie Wexner

Extracted Attributes

• Education

  Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Ohio State University

• Full Name

  Leslie Herbert Wexner

• Net Worth

  Billionaire status

• Philanthropy

  Founder of the Wexner Foundation and major donor to Ohio State University

• Date of Birth

  1937-09-08

• Place of Birth

  Dayton, Ohio, United States

• Primary Business

  Retail and apparel

• Political Affiliation

  Independent (since 2018), formerly Republican

Timeline

• Leslie Herbert Wexner is born in Dayton, Ohio. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1937-09-08

• Wexner opens the first 'The Limited' store in Upper Arlington, Ohio, with a $5,000 loan from his aunt. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1963-08-10

• Limited Brands goes public, listed on the New York Stock Exchange. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1969-01-01

• Wexner retains Jeffrey Epstein as his financial manager, a relationship that lasts until 2007. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1987-01-01

• Wexner co-founds the Mega Group, a pro-Israel lobby group, with Charles Bronfman. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1991-01-01

• Wexner marries Abigail S. Koppel. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1993-01-23

• Begins a three-year term as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Ohio State University. (Source: Web Search Results)

  2009-01-01

• Donates $100 million to Ohio State University, the largest donation in the school's history. (Source: Web Search Results)

  2011-01-01

• Wexner leaves the Republican Party to become an Independent. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2018-01-01

• Representative Ro Khanna reveals that the FBI identified Wexner as an unindicted co-conspirator. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2026-02-10

• A federal court orders Wexner to attend a deposition regarding the Ohio State University abuse scandal involving Richard Strauss. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2026-02-11

Les Wexner

Leslie Herbert Wexner (born September 8, 1937) is an American billionaire businessman and political activist. He is the co-founder and chair emeritus of Bath & Body Works, Inc. He has been the principal in Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria's Secret and La Senza, amongst several other retail corporations. Wexner is involved in politics. In 1991, with billionaire Charles Bronfman, Wexner formed the Mega Group, a club of some of the country's wealthiest and most influential businessmen. As a pro-Israel lobby group, the organization is also said to have tried to influence US foreign policy in the Middle East. In 2003, it employed consultant Frank Luntz to help the group mobilize support for Israel. The group is also said to have had contacts with the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and to have served as a "vehicle for influence operations in the United States". Wexner retained Jeffrey Epstein as his financial manager from 1987 to 2007 and was initially the "main client" of Epstein's money-management firm, according to Bloomberg. Epstein ran his business from a house Wexner owned and sometimes lived in. On February 10, 2026, Representative Ro Khanna revealed that the FBI had named Wexner as an unindicted co-conspirator. The following day, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio denied Wexner's motion to quash a previous subpoena, ordering him to attend a deposition in an Ohio State University case regarding abuse by former staff physician Richard Strauss, who was implicated in the Ohio State University abuse scandal.

Web Search Results

• Leslie H. Wexner | Biography | Research Starters - EBSCO

  Research Starters Home EBSCO Knowledge Advantage TM # Leslie H. Wexner Leslie H. Wexner is a prominent American businessman and philanthropist best known for founding and leading L Brands, which includes well-known retail chains such as The Limited and Victoria's Secret. Born on September 8, 1937, in Dayton, Ohio, Wexner grew up in a family of clothing merchants, which influenced his eventual foray into the retail industry. He opened his first store, The Limited, in 1963, which focused on women's sportswear and quickly expanded into a successful multi-store business. [...] “My idea was that the easiest business to go into is the business you're in—and there's room for more than one competitor,” Wexner told Penny Gill, who profiled him for Stores (January 1993), the magazine of the National Retail Federation. In Wexner's case, that business was the rag trade, for he was born into a family of clothing merchants. His father, Harry Wexner, emigrated from Russia to the United States when he was thirteen, and by the time Leslie was born—on September 8, 1937, in Dayton, Ohio—he was working as a manager of a chain of budget clothing stores. Leslie Wexner has credited his father with teaching him the importance of hard work and attention to detail. From his mother, Bella (Cabakoff) Wexner, a department-store buyer, he learned that anything is possible. [...] ## Chairman emeritus, L Brands; philanthropist “I'm a super specialist, I know only the women's apparel business…” Leslie Wexner, helmsman of The Limited and Victoria's Secret, has said. “But I bet I know more about women's apparel than anyone in the country.” A dynamic, visionary businessman who has made specialty retailing his specialty, Wexner is one of the most successful retailers in the United States. ## Education and Early Career

• Leslie H. Wexner | Academy of Achievement

  Leslie Wexner was long a member of the Board of Trustees of Ohio State University and served as the board’s chairman from 2009 to 2012. In 2011, he made a donation of $100 million to Ohio State — the largest donation in the university’s history — funding a Wexner Center for the Arts and supporting a massive expansion of the university’s medical center. Today it is known as Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. [...] As a young man, Leslie Wexner worked in his family’s small clothing store in Columbus, Ohio. Despite his parents’ long experience, Leslie believed he had a better idea for running a retail clothing business. While the then-dominant regional department stores — and neighborhood shops such as that of his parents — carried clothing for the entire family, Leslie Wexner decided to focus on high-turnover items for a single segment, young women. With a small loan from his aunt, he started a shop of his own — The Limited — and grew the business into a national chain. [...] Leslie H. Wexner was born in Dayton, Ohio. His parents, Harry and Bella Wexner, were both of Russian-Jewish origin. His father was born in Russia; his mother was the first member of her immigrant family to be born in the United States. After working for a number of major department stores, the elder Wexners opened a small clothing store of their own in Columbus, Ohio. The couple named the store Leslie’s, for their son. From an early age, Wexner’s parents treated him like an adult, asking his advice and including him in family business discussions.

• Les Wexner - Wikipedia

  Leslie Herbert Wexner (born September 8, 1937) is an American billionaire businessman, the co-founder and chair emeritus of Bath & Body Works, Inc. (formerly Limited Brands). He has been the principal in Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria's Secret and La Senza, amongst other retail corporations. Wexner retained Jeffrey Epstein as his financial manager from 1987 to 2007 and was initially the "main client" of Epstein's money-management firm, according to Bloomberg. Epstein ran his business from a house Wexner owned and sometimes lived in. ## Early life and education [edit] [...] In 1963, Wexner's aunt lent him $5,000, which he combined with a matching loan from a bank in order to start The Limited. The store took its name from its focus on moderately priced merchandise, such as skirts, sweaters and shirts, that sold quickly and quickly generated revenue. Wexner opened the first store on August 10, 1963, in the Kingsdale Shopping Center in Upper Arlington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. One year later, Wexner's parents closed their store and joined their son in running The Limited. He opened the second Limited store in August 1964. He took Limited Brands public in 1969, listed as LTD on the NYSE. [...] Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikidata item Appearance From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia American businessman (born 1937) | Leslie Herbert Wexner | | Wexner in 2004 | | Born | Leslie Herbert Wexner (1937-09-08) September 8, 1937 (age 88) Dayton, Ohio, U.S. | | Other names | Les Wexner | | Education | Ohio State University (BBA) | | Occupation | Businessman | | Political party | Republican "Republican Party (United States)") (before 2018) Independent (since 2018) | | Spouse | Abigail S. Koppel ​ (m. 1993)​ | | Children | 4 |

• Leslie H. Wexner - The Ohio State University Board of Trustees

  The Ohio State University # Leslie H. Wexner Leslie H. Wexner, is the Founder, and former Chairman and CEO of L Brands. Mr. Wexner founded the company in Columbus, Ohio, in 1963 with one store and first- year sales of $160,000, growing the retail company into a global leader in lingerie, fragrance and beauty. [...] significant economic development project in the history of the state of Ohio. [...] Mr. Wexner holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from The Ohio State University and honorary degrees from Brandeis University; Hebrew Union College; Hofstra University; Marietta College; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; The Ohio State University; University of Tel Aviv; and Yeshiva University. Mr. Wexner was inaugurated by Harvard University into the Society of John Harvard Fellows and has served as a visiting lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Mr. Wexner and his wife, Abigail, are the parents of four children. WMCB Appointment: 11/8/2013 Les Wexner, Chairman and CEO of L Brands, Inc. The Ohio State University Board of Trustees University Square South 15 East 15th Avenue, 5th Floor Columbus, OH 43201

• Leslie H. Wexner

  # Leslie H. Wexner ### Chairman and Chief Executive Officer L Brands, Inc. Leslie H. Wexner, founder of L Brands, currently serves as Chairman Emeritus on its board of directors. Mr. Wexner founded the company in Columbus, Ohio, in 1963 with one store and first-year sales of $160,000. Today, L Brands is a global leader in lingerie, fragrance and beauty, which includes Victoria’s Secret, PINK and Bath & Body Works and has total annual sales exceeding $12 billion. The company’s products are available in more than 3,800 stores around the world. [...] Mr. Wexner is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; chairman, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Board and chairman of the Columbus Partnership. He is also a founding member and the first chair of The Ohio State University Foundation. Mr. Wexner holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from The Ohio State University and honorary degrees from Brandeis University; Hebrew Union College; Hofstra University; Marietta College; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; The Ohio State University; University of Tel Aviv; and Yeshiva University. Mr. Wexner was inaugurated by Harvard University into the Society of John Harvard Fellows and serves as a visiting lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. [...] Mr. Wexner has a profound interest in the development of tomorrow’s leaders through the works of Harvard University’s Center for Public Leadership; the Wexner Foundation; and The Ohio State University. His areas of community interest include The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center; the Columbus Partnership; Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University; Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus; and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, Columbus. Mr. Wexner has received the Alexis de Tocqueville Society Award of the United Way of America, Woodrow Wilson Award for Citizenship, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Knight of the Italian Republic and the American Jewish Committee Herbert H. Lehman Centennial Leadership Award.