Billionaire Wexner Says He Went to Epstein's Island, Didn't Know of Crimes

Wexner, founder of L Brands which owned Victoria's Secret, testified he visited Epstein's island but was unaware of his criminal activities.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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Billionaire Leslie Wexner, the founder of L Brands which owned Victoria's Secret, told lawmakers that he traveled to the island owned by the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein but did not know of Epstein's crimes. Wexner said he visited Epstein's island once, shortly after Epstein had purchased it, and stopped there for a few hours one morning with his wife and children while on a cruise on their boat. Wexner said he "never witnessed nor had any knowledge of Epstein's criminal activity" and was "never a participant nor co-conspirator in any of Epstein's illegal activities."

Why it matters

Wexner's ties to Epstein have long been a source of scrutiny, as Wexner hired Epstein as his personal money manager starting in the 1980s. Wexner is mentioned more than 1,300 times in the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice, raising questions about the extent of their relationship and Wexner's potential knowledge of Epstein's crimes.

The details

Wexner, 88, told members of Congress during a closed-door hearing in Ohio that he visited Epstein's island once, shortly after Epstein had purchased it, and stopped there for a 'few hours' one morning with his wife and children while on a cruise on their boat. Wexner said he "never witnessed nor had any knowledge of Epstein's criminal activity" and was "never a participant nor co-conspirator in any of Epstein's illegal activities." Wexner has never been charged with a crime, but is mentioned more than 1,300 times in the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice.

  • Wexner visited Epstein's island shortly after Epstein had purchased it.
  • Wexner stopped at Epstein's island for a few hours one morning while on a cruise with his wife and children.

The players

Leslie Wexner

The founder of L Brands, which for years owned Victoria's Secret. Wexner hired Jeffrey Epstein as his personal money manager starting in the 1980s.

Jeffrey Epstein

The late sex offender who owned the island that Wexner visited. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution and was facing federal sex trafficking charges when he died in prison in 2019.

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What they’re saying

“I never witnessed nor had any knowledge of Epstein's criminal activity. I was never a participant nor co-conspirator in any of Epstein's illegal activities.”

— Leslie Wexner (The Epoch Times)

“He has basically alleged that he saw no evil, heard no evil, despite being in the room with Jeffrey Epstein over and over. It's really just not credible... To give that much trust to Jeffrey Epstein and then to say, 'I don't remember seeing any young girls, I didn't hear anything about Jeffrey Epstein'—it really is just not plausible. And so we're going to keep digging.”

— Rep. Dave Min, Democratic Congressman from California (The Epoch Times)

What’s next

The House Oversight Committee, which is controlled by Republicans, said that video and a transcript from the closed-door questioning of Wexner would be released soon.

The takeaway

Wexner's close ties to Epstein have long raised questions about the extent of his knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities. While Wexner maintains he was unaware of Epstein's crimes, lawmakers remain skeptical and plan to continue investigating the relationship between the two men.