Jeffrey Epstein was a longtime advisor to the financial sector and a business partner alongside New Albany billionaire Leslie H. Wexner who was the creator of L Brands, a onetime retail business that included Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works and many other well-known brands.
So it came as no surprise that the name of Wexner appeared on a list of Epstein associates, which was removed from a civil lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, who accused Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell of orchestrating her sexual relations with prominent men. The case was resolved in the year 2017. The case was settled in 2017. U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska of the Southern District of New York demanded that the list of names to be released as there was no necessity to keep them in the shadows.
The name of Wexner appears on the list, as well as numerous instances in documents made public Wednesday evening, however He and none of the people that are mentioned in the documents released have been charged with a crimes. The inclusion of their names on the list does not imply the possibility of being witnesses, victims or plaintiff, or being in contact with social or business contacts with Epstein or Maxwell who are currently serving a sentence of 20 years in Federal prison in connection with her sentence.
Wexner’s name is mentioned in depositions which were made public in the form of documents where those who were being questioned were asked questions about Wexner.
The year 1998 was the first time Epstein is identified as the President, together with Wexner and Wexner The New Albany Company development company, as per Ohio business documents. Epstein owned property in The New Albany development, including an apartment located on King George Drive that he owned until 1994, when he sold it for zero for Wexners in December 2007. Wexners on December 7, 2007.
Epstein was also a trustee for The Wexner Foundation, but had no executive responsibility for the running of the foundation, according to the foundation in 2020.
Wexner and Epstein were both interested in an Manhattan home that was purchased at the time of 1989 $13.2 million – at the time, a record for townhouses in the Manhattan townhome — through an organization owned by Wexner and Epstein as reported by The New York Times. Nine years after, Wexner transferred his interest in the property to Epstein for $20 million, The Times reported. Epstein was a resident for a number of years, even though Wexner did not live there.
In 2007, when allegations of sexual misconduct began to surface concerning Epstein in Florida It was decided that he was to step down from overseeing his role in the Wexner family’s finances. Wexner stated in a 2019 letter that accuses Epstein of taking tens of millions in cash from family members of the Wexner family.
In December 2007 Abigail Wexner, Wexner’s wife set up a charitable foundation named YLK Charitable Fund, according to Internal Revenue Service records obtained by The Dispatch for a 2019 article.
Epstein has made an $47 million contribution towards the charitable organization. The donation was the sole one to the charity. It was disbanded three years later.
Leslie Wexner subsequently charged that the $47 million was derived from the funds Epstein has stolen from the Wexners.
“This was, frankly, a tremendous shock, even though it clearly pales in comparison to the unthinkable allegations against him now,” Wexner wrote in a letter sent to his foundation. “With his credibility and our trust in him destroyed, we immediately severed ties with him. We were able to recover some of the funds.”
Wexner also informed that his staff in an note that the employee “was never aware of the illegal activity” that Epstein was accused of committing.