VICTORIA'S SECRET / LES WEXNER — POWER OF ATTORNEY & SEVERANCE CORRESPONDENCE 1991-2007
The relationship between Les Wexner, founder and CEO of L Brands (parent company of Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, and other retail brands), and Jeffrey Epstein is documented through corporate records, legal filings, and correspondence that reveals one of the most consequential and least understood financial partnerships in the Epstein story.
THE POWER OF ATTORNEY: At the center of the Wexner-Epstein relationship was an extraordinary power of attorney executed in 1991, granting Epstein sweeping authority over Wexner's financial affairs. The document, which was disclosed through court filings and investigative reporting, gave Epstein the power to sign documents, hire and fire employees, make financial decisions, borrow money, and manage assets on Wexner's behalf. The scope of the power of attorney was virtually unlimited — far beyond what is typical in a financial advisory relationship. Legal experts who reviewed the document described it as "remarkable" and "unprecedented" in its breadth, essentially making Epstein Wexner's financial alter ego.
Correspondence from the period showed that Epstein exercised this authority extensively, making investment decisions, managing real estate transactions, and interacting with Wexner's business associates and financial institutions as Wexner's representative. The power of attorney gave Epstein access to Wexner's fortune, which Forbes estimated at approximately $4.6 billion, and positioned him at the center of one of America's largest retail empires.
THE 71ST STREET MANSION TRANSFER: One of the most scrutinized transactions in the Wexner-Epstein relationship was the transfer of the Manhattan townhouse at 9 East 71st Street from Wexner to Epstein. The property, a 21,000-square-foot neoclassical mansion that is one of the largest private residences in Manhattan, was originally purchased by Wexner in 1989 for approximately $13.2 million. Records show that the property was transferred to Epstein in 1998 for a stated price of zero dollars. Wexner later described the transfer as a sale, but no purchase price was recorded in public filings. The mansion, which became Epstein's primary residence and the site of alleged criminal activity, was valued at approximately $56 million at the time of Epstein's death.
Correspondence related to the transaction was limited in the public record, but the circumstances of the transfer — a $56 million property conveyed for no documented consideration — became a focal point of scrutiny about the true nature of the financial relationship between the two men.
VICTORIA'S SECRET ACCESS: Court filings and victim testimony described how Epstein leveraged his connection to Wexner and Victoria's Secret to recruit victims. Multiple witnesses stated that Epstein or his associates approached young women with offers of modeling opportunities with Victoria's Secret. Correspondence and records showed that Epstein was known within the L Brands organization and that his association with Wexner gave him credibility when making such approaches. While no correspondence has been disclosed showing Wexner's direct knowledge of this recruitment tactic, the exploitation of the Victoria's Secret brand for predatory purposes became one of the most disturbing elements of the case.
Alicia Arden, a model, filed a police report in 1997 stating that Epstein had lured her to a hotel room by claiming to be a talent scout for Victoria's Secret, where he sexually assaulted her. The Santa Monica Police Department took the report but did not pursue charges. Similar accounts from other women described Epstein using the Victoria's Secret connection as a recruiting tool.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND ALLEGED MISAPPROPRIATION: Wexner stated in September 2019 that Epstein had "misappropriated vast sums of money" from him. In a letter to members of his charitable foundation, Wexner wrote: "I am embarrassed that, like so many others, I was deceived by Mr. Epstein. I know now that my trust in him was grossly misplaced and that he took advantage of me and my family." Wexner did not specify the amount of the alleged misappropriation, and no criminal charges were filed related to the claim. The letter, distributed to members of the Wexner Foundation and subsequently obtained by media, represented Wexner's most detailed public statement about the relationship.
Financial correspondence and records showed that Epstein managed multiple aspects of Wexner's personal finances, including investments, real estate transactions, and philanthropic giving. The scope of Epstein's access to Wexner's assets, combined with the sweeping power of attorney, created conditions where financial irregularities would have been difficult for outside parties to detect or challenge.
SEVERANCE OF THE RELATIONSHIP: The timeline of the relationship's termination has been a subject of conflicting accounts. Wexner stated that he severed ties with Epstein in 2007, prior to Epstein's 2008 plea agreement. Correspondence supporting this claim included a letter from Wexner's attorneys to Epstein's office formally revoking the power of attorney. However, investigative reporting identified potential contacts between Wexner and Epstein's associates that continued after the stated 2007 cutoff, though the nature and significance of those contacts remained disputed.
The formal revocation of the power of attorney in 2007 coincided with the escalation of the federal investigation into Epstein's activities in Palm Beach. Whether Wexner's decision to sever ties was prompted by the investigation, by the discovery of financial irregularities, or by other factors was not definitively established in the public record.
MARIA FARMER'S ACCOUNT: Maria Farmer, one of the earliest victims to report Epstein and Maxwell to law enforcement in 1996, described being assaulted at Wexner's estate in New Albany, Ohio. Farmer stated that Epstein and Maxwell brought her to the property under the pretense of a social visit, and that the assault occurred in a guest house on the Wexner estate grounds. Correspondence and records confirmed that Epstein had access to the Wexner estate and used it during this period. Farmer's account placed Epstein's predatory behavior directly within the orbit of the Wexner relationship, raising questions about the degree to which the infrastructure of Wexner's wealth and properties facilitated Epstein's criminal activity.
CORPORATE AND REPUTATIONAL IMPACT: The Epstein association had lasting consequences for Wexner and L Brands. In February 2020, Wexner stepped down as CEO and chairman of L Brands, a position he had held for over 50 years. While the departure was attributed to a broader corporate restructuring, the timing — months after Epstein's death and the resulting media scrutiny — was widely viewed as connected to the Epstein fallout. The Victoria's Secret brand underwent significant rebranding efforts to distance itself from the Epstein association, including replacing the "Angels" marketing concept and revamping its corporate leadership.