Wexner Skips Another OSU Medical Board Meeting Amid Epstein Spotlight

The billionaire has chaired the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center board since 2013.

Mar. 3, 2026 at 9:11pm

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Central Ohio billionaire Lex Wexner, the chair of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Board, failed to attend a recent board meeting following a congressional deposition over his long-standing relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Wexner, who has had his name attached to the university's medical facilities after a $100 million donation in 2011, has attended only one of the board's four meetings in 2025 and three out of four in 2024.

Why it matters

Wexner's ties to Epstein have sparked protests and calls for his name to be removed from Ohio State University facilities, with the state's nurses' union saying his association with Epstein is 'retraumatizing' for survivors. His continued absence from the medical board meetings raises questions about his future leadership role.

The details

Wexner, the former CEO of L Brands, acted as Epstein's financial adviser for decades and at one point gave him power of attorney. Though Wexner has claimed he cut ties with Epstein in 2007, recently released emails show the two were still in contact in 2008, the same year Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from a minor.

  • Wexner attended only one of the medical board's four meetings in 2025.
  • Wexner attended three of the medical board's four meetings in 2024.
  • Wexner failed to attend the March 3, 2026 medical board meeting.

The players

Lex Wexner

A billionaire from New Albany, Ohio, and the chair of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center board since 2013. He has had a long-standing relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Jeffrey Epstein

A convicted sex offender and alleged child sex trafficker who died by suicide in 2019. He acted as Wexner's financial adviser for decades and at one point had power of attorney for him.

Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

The health system that bears Wexner's name after he made a $100 million donation to the university in 2011, one of the largest in its history.

Rick Lucas

The president of the Ohio Nurses Association, who called for Wexner's name to be removed from the university's facilities due to his association with Epstein.

Algenon L. Marbley

A federal judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and former OSU trustee, who praised the Wexners as people of "uncommon compassion" when the medical center was named after them.

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What they’re saying

“When an institution dedicated to healing carries the name of someone so closely associated with a man who systematically preyed on children, survivors see that name every day. For many, it is not neutral. It is retraumatizing.”

— Rick Lucas, President, Ohio Nurses Association

“The Wexners are people of uncommon compassion, and their dedication to adults and children in central Ohio is unparalleled.”

— Algenon L. Marbley, Federal Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

What’s next

The judge in the congressional deposition over Wexner's relationship with Epstein is expected to make a decision on whether Wexner will be called to testify again.

The takeaway

Wexner's continued absence from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center board meetings and his long-standing ties to Jeffrey Epstein have raised serious concerns about his leadership and the appropriateness of his name being attached to the university's health system facilities.