Les Wexner admits 'few hours' long Epstein island visit, denies witnessing any crimes: 'Hid from me'
WASHINGTON, DC: Billionaire businessman Leslie Wexner told congressional investigators, on Wednesday, February 18, that he once visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island but denied any knowledge of criminal activity.
Wexner testified before the House Oversight Committee as part of its ongoing investigation into Epstein’s network and associations.
In prepared remarks, Wexner said he was unaware of Epstein’s actions and severed ties after discovering alleged financial misconduct. The deposition took place behind closed doors, with transcripts expected to be released at a later date.
Les Wexner calls Epstein 'master manipulator' in testimony
In his opening statement, Wexner said that he had visited Epstein’s island “for a few hours” with his wife and children while traveling by boat in the region.
He told lawmakers he had “never witnessed nor had any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activity and “never saw or heard about Epstein being in the company of a minor girl.”
Describing Epstein as a “master manipulator,” Wexner said that the financier concealed his criminal conduct.
“The other life (Epstein) 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.”
Wexner stated that after learning of an investigation into Epstein’s conduct and discovering that Epstein had stolen “vast sums” from him and his family, he “completely and irrevocably cut ties” and “never spoke” with him again.
“Once I learned of his conduct and theft from my family, I never spoke with Epstein again. Never,” he said.
Wexner, 88, is the former chief executive of L Brands, the parent company of Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, his net worth exceeds $10 billion. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
FBI files detail Wexner-Epstein relationship
Lawmakers subpoenaed Wexner in January, citing his longstanding financial relationship with Epstein, who managed Wexner’s personal finances for years and was granted power of attorney in 1991.
Wexner said he ended the relationship in 2007 after discovering that Epstein had misappropriated hundreds of millions of dollars, including through property transactions that allegedly benefited Epstein personally.
Prosecutors later wrote that Epstein returned approximately $100 million by early 2008 as part of a private settlement.
Recently released federal documents include an FBI report summarizing a 2019 interview with Wexner’s attorneys, who told investigators that Wexner “had no knowledge of any inappropriate or unlawful activity with young women by Epstein.”
Another document identified Wexner as a “co-conspirator,” though he was never charged. A spokesperson said prosecutors informed Wexner’s legal counsel in 2019 that he was viewed as a source of information but “was not a target in any respect.”
An undated draft letter included in the released files shows Epstein referencing their long relationship, writing, “You and I had ‘gang stuff’ for over 15 years.”
It remains unclear whether the letter was ever sent. A spokesperson for Wexner told media outlets that the note “appears to fit a pattern of untrue, outlandish, and delusional statements made by Epstein.”
