One of the men most closely linked to Jeffrey Epstein is now playing dumb about his well-documented ties to the deceased pedophile.
Les Wexner, the billionaire former owner of Victoria’s Secret, offered a simple explanation for why his name appears thousands of times in the Epstein files: he was “duped.”
“I was naive, foolish, and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein,” Wexner, 88, told lawmakers Wednesday, who subpoenaed him as part of their investigation into the government’s handling of the Epstein case.
“At no time did I ever witness the side of Epstein’s life for which he is now infamous,” he said, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Epstein allegedly leveraged his close relationship with the retail mogul—who stepped aside as Victoria’s Secret CEO in 2020—to recruit women. Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers who died by suicide in April, named Wexner in a deposition as one of the men she was trafficked to. Wexner has denied knowledge of Epstein’s assaults.
In 2019, the FBI event identified Wexner as a potential co-conspirator in internal documents, though he was not charged.
Earlier this month, a legal representative for Wexner told Politico that “the Assistant U.S. Attorney told Mr. Wexner’s legal counsel in 2019 that Mr. Wexner was being viewed as [a] source of information about Epstein and was not a target in any respect. Mr. Wexner cooperated fully by providing background information on Epstein and was never contacted again.”
Another accuser, Maria Farmer, said she was assaulted by Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein while staying on Wexner’s estate in the 1990s. Farmer has said she blames Wexner because the alleged assault occurred on his property. As The Daily Beast previously reported, she further claimed that his security officers “held her against her will at the property…for 12 hours after her alleged assault.” Wexner has denied any knowledge of the incident.
Still, Wexner testified Wednesday that he had never flown on Epstein’s plane, sold him his townhouse for a reasonable price, and visited Epstein’s private island only briefly while on a cruise with his family, according to testimony obtained by the Journal.
The billionaire went so far as to count himself among Epstein’s victims, alleging his old friend had “stolen vast sums” from his family.
Wexner built L Brands into a retail empire that at various points included The Limited, Abercrombie & Fitch, Express, Lane Bryant, Henri Bendel, Bath & Body Works, and Victoria’s Secret. At the same time, he also aided with the “staggering growth” of Epstein’s fortune, according to a New York Times investigation.
Epstein oversaw significant portions of the billionaire’s finances and acquired Wexner’s Manhattan townhouse, private jet—later dubbed the “Lolita Express”—and other properties at steep discounts.
In 1991, Wexner granted Epstein power of attorney in a highly unusual move that, as the Times reported, “enabled Mr. Epstein to hire people, sign checks, buy and sell properties and borrow money” on Wexner’s behalf. Epstein was granted “full power and authority to do and perform every act necessary” for Wexner.
And, famously, Wexner gushed about Epstein to Vanity Fair in 2003, calling him “very smart with a combination of excellent judgment and unusually high standards,” adding, “he is always a most loyal friend.”
Even after Epstein was charged with soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2006, Wexner did not immediately cut ties. An Oregon attorney general’s investigation later found that Victoria’s Secret had aided Epstein’s legal defense that year by voluntarily providing information about one of his accusers, who had worked for the lingerie retailer at the time.
Wexner’s relationship with the pedophile has been under renewed scrutiny after Rep. Ro Khanna named him among “six wealthy, powerful men” whose identities the Department of Justice had redacted from the Epstein files “for no apparent reason.”
“My question is, why did it take Thomas Massie and me going to the Justice Department to get these six men’s identities to become public?” Khanna asked representatives on the House floor earlier this month. He did not detail evidence of any wrongdoing against them.
The renewed attention comes after the DOJ released roughly three million uncensored records to Congress under the Epstein Transparency Act, amid criticism that the Trump administration was slow to comply.
Among them, Epstein writes in one undated message to “Les”: “You and I had ‘gang stuff’ for over 15 years…..I have never once, not once, done anything , but protect your interests. I owe a great debt to you, as frankly you owe to me.”
He later adds: “I had no intention of divulging any confidence of ours.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to Wexner’s representatives for comment.
A spokesperson for Wexner told CNN: “The draft appears to fit a pattern of outlandish and delusional statements by Epstein, in the newly released documents, made in desperate attempts to perpetuate his lies, proclaim his innocence, and meet with individuals who had ended their relationships with him.”
The post Victoria’s Secret Billionaire Offers Insane Denial to Epstein Ties appeared first on The Daily Beast.
