Leslie Wexner is an American billionaire businessman best known as the founder of L Brands (now Bath & Body Works Inc.), which grew into a retail giant encompassing Victoria's Secret, The Limited, and other apparel and beauty chains.

Early Life

Born on September 8, 1937, in Dayton, Ohio, to Russian immigrant parents who ran a small clothing store called Leslie's in Columbus. Wexner worked in the family business as a young man, gaining early retail experience that shaped his vision for targeting young women's fashion with high-turnover items. He graduated from Ohio State University and launched his first store, The Limited, in 1963 with a modest $5,000 loan from his aunt, focusing on affordable sportswear in a single Columbus shopping center.

Business Empire

Wexner transformed The Limited into a national chain by the 1970s, going public in 1969 and expanding aggressively. A pivotal move came in 1982 when he bought the struggling Victoria's Secret for $1 million, reimagining it from a small San Francisco lingerie chain into a global powerhouse with Victorian- themed stores, catalogs, and iconic fashion shows that quadrupled sales in peak years like 1990. Under his leadership, L Brands peaked at over $13 billion in annual sales by 2019, also including Bath & Body Works, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lane Bryant, and La Senza, employing 80,000+ people worldwide.

Key milestones:

  • 1963 : Opens The Limited with $160,000 first-year sales.
  • 1982 : Acquires Victoria's Secret, growing it to 350 U.S. stores in five years.
  • 1995 : Launches annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on TV.
  • 2019 : L Brands hits $13B revenue before his 2020 step-down as CEO.

Controversies

Wexner drew scrutiny for his long association with Jeffrey Epstein, whom he employed as a financial manager from 1987 to 2007; Epstein managed Wexner's fortune and operated from a Wexner-owned property. Wexner has denied knowledge of Epstein's crimes, severed ties in 2007, and expressed regret, but the connection fueled public debate, especially amid Epstein-related lawsuits and media coverage as recently as 2021. No charges have been filed against Wexner, and he has focused on philanthropy since retiring.

Philanthropy and Legacy

A major donor in Ohio, Wexner founded the Wexner Foundation to support Jewish leadership and public service programs, and has given hundreds of millions to Ohio State University for medical research and facilities. As of early 2026, his net worth remains in the billions via L Brands stakes, cementing his status as a retail pioneer who revolutionized specialty shopping. He's chair emeritus of Bath & Body Works, stepping back amid industry shifts like e-commerce and changing consumer tastes.

TL;DR : Wexner built a retail juggernaut from a single store into a $13B+ empire, most famously via Victoria's Secret, while navigating Epstein ties and committing to Ohio-focused giving.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.