How Power, Loyalty, and Donations Became Les Wexner’s Shield Against Epstein Allegations - The Epstein Chronicles

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Episode Summary:

Podcast: The Epstein Chronicles
Host: Bobby Capucci
Episode Title: How Power, Loyalty, and Donations Became Les Wexner’s Shield Against Epstein Allegations
Air Date: May 13, 2026

Main Theme

This episode critically examines the deep and complex relationship between retail magnate Les Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein. Host Bobby Capucci unpacks how Wexner’s power, wealth, and influence — along with strategic institutional loyalty and philanthropy — shielded him from accountability regarding his connection to Epstein and related abuse allegations. The episode responds to recent developments at Ohio State University (OSU) regarding pressure to remove Wexner’s name from campus buildings, with detailed discussion about who is protected, who isn't, and why public scrutiny remains crucial.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nature of the Wexner–Epstein Relationship (00:00–03:50)

Bobby Capucci immediately emphasizes that Wexner and Epstein were not casual acquaintances, but had a “deep, sustained, financially entangled relationship that fundamentally reshaped Wexner’s personal and corporate universe.”
Wexner gave Epstein unfettered control over his finances, charities, real estate, and legal affairs, with Capucci questioning how such control could be granted to a “man with no meaningful credentials, no transparent client list.”
Capucci strongly rejects claims that Wexner was simply hoodwinked by Epstein:

“That line collapses under even the most minimal amount of scrutiny... This was years of power, years of proximity, years of Epstein operating as a de facto shadow principle inside Wexner’s financial and personal empire.” (01:25)
He highlights the persistent lack of transparency and Wexner’s refusal to fully open records, noting this is “a narrative crafted to minimize exposure rather than confront reality.”
Capucci criticizes the notion that scrutiny is unfair:

“Power carries responsibility. Proximity carries accountability. Or at least it should.” (03:36)

2. Recent News: OSU and the “Cancel Culture” Defense (03:51–07:10)

Capucci references a new article from WOSU.org: Former OSU President E. Gordon Gee defends Les Wexner amid increasing calls to remove Wexner’s name from university property, labeling the movement "cancel culture."
Capucci refutes this, asserting, “No, this is not cancel culture. What this is is your chickens coming home to roost. For all these years, you were able to swim above scrutiny. For all these years, you were shielded by your power, your money, and your connections.” (04:31)
He underscores public demands for explanations and accountability, particularly regarding:
- Wexner's alleged personal misconduct
- The role of Wexner’s head of security, as described by accuser Maria Farmer
- The lack of concern for Epstein’s survivors

3. Institutional Priorities: Money Over Accountability (07:11–12:30)

Capucci draws parallels between Wexner’s sheltered status at OSU and the university’s scandal involving Dr. Richard Strauss, who sexually abused student-athletes for years ("Maybe it’s time for Ohio State to change its name to Diddler State.").
He points out that despite serious allegations, the university declined to remove Wexner’s name due to “a lack of information” for the naming committee:

“Translation: not removing his name. We want his money. We don’t care what happened to those girls, and we don’t care what happened to our students.” (09:14)
Capucci criticizes those who minimize calls for accountability as “overblown” and mocks the defense that “everybody’s just jumping to conclusions.”

4. Calls for Investigation & Legal Proceedings (12:31–19:25)

Capucci firmly states that everyone credibly accused should be investigated, regardless of power or philanthropy — “Doesn’t matter how much money you have, doesn’t matter who your friends are.”
Wexner is called before Congress in February to testify about his ties with Epstein.
He critiques Guy’s (former OSU President) assertion that Wexner was in the dark:

“Were you, Les Wexner, hanging out together? Were you on the plane?... Or are you just running your fat ass yap?” (11:34)
He observes that institutional responses routinely prioritize protecting donors and those with influence.
Capucci references the statute of limitations, mentioning that normally, those handling money for criminals (as, in his analogy, Wexner did for Epstein), would be charged as co-conspirators:

“If this was the Mafia, bro would have already been arrested. Imagine if he was the money man for John Gotti.” (13:17)

5. Survivors Speak Out, and The “Cancel Culture” Rebuttal (19:26–23:20)

Steve Snyder-Hill, a survivor of Strauss's abuse and a litigant against OSU, is quoted as rejecting the "cancel culture" framing:

“We’re not trying to cancel Les Wexner from anything... right now he’s under a lot of scrutiny with the U.S. government.” (20:13)
There’s consensus among survivors and critics, per Capucci, that requiring Wexner, Gee, and key figures to testify under oath is a basic step, not an act of overreach or cultural excess.

6. Wexner’s Prospects of Facing Consequence (23:21–End)

Capucci is skeptical Wexner will be meaningfully compelled to testify, citing past behavior by wealthy, high-profile individuals:

“Guys like Wexner always find a way to wiggle off the hook. So is Wexner going to end up getting deposed? I hope so. He should. But will he? Well, that’s the question.” (23:50)
The episode closes with Capucci reaffirming his commitment to holding power accountable and supporting survivors despite institutional resistance.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“Anyone still pretending that’s not a big deal is either willfully ignorant or actively lying.” – Bobby Capucci (00:30)
“If there is truly nothing to answer for, then transparency should be effortless. Instead, what we see is containment, distance, legal insulation.” (02:22)
“The most offensive part isn’t even the relationship itself. It’s the ongoing insistence that scrutiny is unfair, that asking hard questions is somehow unreasonable.” (03:12)
On OSU’s refusal to remove Wexner’s name: “We want his money. We don’t care what happened to those girls, and we don’t care what happened to our students.” (09:14)
On legal accountability: “People that got hit with RICO for wire fraud, for illegal sports betting… But I think that the law should be applied equally. So that means… people like Jeffrey Epstein and his friends should certainly go to prison for abusing people.” (15:28)
“It’s not cancel culture. It’s consequence culture. There’s a big difference.” (17:26)
On being told to stop “jumping to conclusions”: “No, we’re just too normal. He’s a degenerate and another sick bastard. That’s right. I said it.” (21:44)
“Guys like Wexner always find a way to wiggle off the hook. So is Wexner going to end up getting deposed? I hope so. He should. But will he? Well, that’s the question.” (23:50)

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:00–03:50 — Introduction, depth of Wexner–Epstein relationship, institutional complicity
03:51–07:10 — New developments, Gee’s defense, “cancel culture” framing rebutted
07:11–12:30 — Ohio State’s priorities, parallels to Dr. Strauss scandal
12:31–19:25 — Calls for equal justice, legal analysis, Wexner’s congressional subpoena
19:26–23:20 — Survivors’ perspectives, critique of elite protection, push for sworn testimony
23:21–End — Final thoughts, skepticism of accountability, closing remarks

Tone and Language

Bobby Capucci’s style throughout is direct, unfiltered, and impassioned. He mixes investigative rigor with biting humor and a clear advocacy for survivor justice, using informal, confrontational language to expose hypocrisy and demand transparency.

For Listeners New to the Podcast

This episode provides a pointed, detailed critique of how American institutions and elites use money and loyalty to insulate themselves from the consequences of their associations with figures like Jeffrey Epstein. It expands on why public scrutiny and survivor demands for accountability remain absolutely necessary.

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[00:00]
A
What's up, everyone? And welcome to another episode of the Epstein Chronicles. Let's be clear right out of the gate. Les Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein were not casual acquaintances who crossed paths at a charity dinner and then drifted apart. We're not talking about a loose social overlap. This was a deep, sustained, financially entangled relationship that fundamentally reshaped Wexner's personal and corporate universe. And anyone still pretending that's not a big deal is either willfully ignorant or actively lying. Les Wexner handed Epstein unprecedented control over his money, his legal affairs, his charities, his real estate, and his personal life. Not to a hedge fund manager, not a regulated financial institution, but instead entrusted all of that to a man with no meaningful credentials, no transparent client list, and a legitimate track record, who somehow became the sole gatekeeper to the fortune of one of the most powerful retail magnates in America. And yet we're told by defenders, apologists, and the ever useful class of institutional yes men that Wexner was merely fooled. That he was taken advantage of. That Epstein was just a con man who slipped past everyone's defenses. Well, that line collapses under even the most minimal amount of scrutiny. We're not talking about a short term grift. This wasn't a forged document or a hidden clause. This was years of access, years of power, years of proximity, Years of Epstein operating as a de facto shadow principle inside Wexner's financial and personal empire. Ask yourself this. How does someone become the largest private property holder in Manhattan without scrutiny from the person funding it? How does someone move tens of millions, acquire planes, mansions, and influence, while claiming to work for one primary patron without that patron noticing where the money, leverage and power are actually going? The idea that Wexner didn't know anything is not just implausible, it's insulting to the intelligence of anyone who understands how wealth control and governance actually function at that level. And then there is the silence, the carefully worded statements, the refusal to fully open records, the insistence that everything relevant has already been disclosed, despite obvious gaps, contradictions and unanswered questions. If there is truly nothing to answer for, then transparency should be effortless. Instead, what we see is containment, distance, legal insulation. A narrative crafted to minimize exposure rather than confront reality. And to me, the most offensive part isn't even the relationship itself. It's the ongoing insistence that scrutiny is unfair, that asking hard questions is somehow unreasonable. That one of the most powerful businessmen in America should be treated as a passive victim in a saga that depended on money, access and elite protection to exist at All. Epstein didn't operate in a vacuum. He didn't conjure legitimacy out of thin air. He borrowed it from powerful people who opened doors, vouch for him, and empowered him. So, no, this wasn't no big deal. And no, Les Wexner doesn't get to skate by on selective ignorance and curated statements. Power carries responsibility. Proximity carries accountability. Or at least it should. Today's article is from WOSU.org and the headline, former OSU President Guy Defends Les Wexner amid Probe into Billionaires Ties to Epstein. This article was authored by George Shilcock. Damn. You know George had a rough time of it in school, right? A name like Shilcock. Former Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee says the effort to remove Ohio billionaire Les Wexner's name from university buildings is cancel culture. No, this is not cancel culture. What this is is your chickens coming home to roost. For all these years, you were able to swim above scrutiny. For all these years, you were shielded by your power, your money, and your connections. Well, that shield has finally been pierced, and people don't want to hear it anymore. People want to know why you were so deeply entangled with Jeffrey Epstein. People want to know why your head of security, according to Maria Farmer, held her hostage. People want to know why the Wexners don't give a about Epstein survivors. And people also want to know why a man like Les Wexner, who was credibly accused of by Virginia Roberts, was never investigated. Guy went to bat for Wexner, who he calls a friend and wonderful philanthropist. Gee's time as president overlapped with Wexner's time as chair of the OSU Board of Trustees. So this guy has his name littered all over the campus, right? Meanwhile, there's a gigantic scandal going on at Ohio State because one of the doctors there, Dr. Strauss, abused a bunch of wrestlers. So that whole entire situation is brewing. And at the same time, you have the Epstein touch with Wexner. Maybe it's time for Ohio State to change its name to Diddler State. I mean, you would think that you'd want to cut all ties with somebody like Les Wexner. You'd want to pull his name off all these buildings. But it's always about money over people, right? Unless Wexner, if he has anything, he has money. He spoke about OSU's biggest donor and Ohio's richest man on all sides with Amy Jurovich Wednesday morning. Guy is now a consultant for current Ohio State President Ted Carter at the university's new Salmon Pha center for Civics, Culture, and Society. So this dude's an assistant. He's a consultant. Really? This is the guy you want steering the conversation? Probably not a great idea if he thinks this highly of Les Wexner. He's probably somebody that thinks highly of Mr. Strauss, too, and probably thinks pretty highly of Jeffrey Epstein. And that the whole story is overblown because there's a lot of people out there who feel that way, and the vast majority of people that feel that way are people that have something to hide or someone to protect. Because anybody who's decent and normal takes one look at this and says, everybody involved needs to be investigated. Doesn't matter how much money you have, doesn't matter who your friends are. None of that should matter. Everybody should be investigated. Who has been credibly accused. Wexner is being called before Congress in February to testify about his close relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Ghee said he thinks Wexner had no idea about what Epstein was doing. Well, how would you know? Were you. Unless Wexner hanging out together? Were you on the plane? Were you flying around with Jeffrey and with Les? Were you in on those board meetings like a lot of the other executives who quit? Were. Did you have the inside scoop on what was going on? Were you just running your fat ass yap to run your fat ass yet? I'm gonna go with your just running your fat ass yap. Ghee made the comments after being asked about an effort to remove Wexner's name from the Woody Hayes Athletic Center's football complex. The university denied a request to remove Wexner's name on the basis that there was a lack of information for the naming committee to review. Translation, not removing his name. We want his money. We don't care what happened to those girls, and we don't care what happened to our students. That's what they're telling you. They're just doing it with a smile, right? The request made by survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of former OSU team doctor Richard Strauss decades ago, contained accusations of misconduct related to Strauss and Ott Wexner. Well, it's all in the same gang, right? I mean, Strauss was actually doing the abusing. Wexner, according to Virginia, abused her. And we all know that he was funding Jeffrey Epstein for years. So if you want to talk about a co conspirator, you want to talk about somebody that was involved, then no doubt Les Wexner. I mean, if this was the Mafia, bro would have already been arrested. Imagine if he was the money man for John Gotti. Do you think that Mr. Ghee would be making these comments? Furthermore, do you think he wouldn't be in a cell? Because he most certainly would be. I have seen people thrown into jail cells for a lot less. People that got hit with RICO for wire fraud, for illegal sports betting. You know, stuff that obviously is illegal, and people should pay a penalty for it. I'm not saying that people should be above the law. The law is what it is. But I think that the law should be applied equally. So that means if people that we know go to prison for things like I was just talking about, then people like Jeffrey Epstein and his friends should certainly go to prison for abusing people. This is cancel culture gone wild. If you believe that there was even some scintilla of an issue, sometimes people just want to go right to DEFCON 2. That's silly. Ghee said. Well, Mr. Ghee, why don't you listen to what Maria Farmer said? Why don't you listen to what Virginia said, and then you tell me if it's cancel culture or not? Because in my opinion, it's not cancel culture. It's consequence culture. There's a big difference. And the fact that your buddy Les Wexner has been running from this for all these years is just another tell that he has something to hide. He's never come forward. He's never sat down with anybody. He's never offered his sympathy to the women that were abused. Just another person that's trying to position himself as some kind of victim. Well, that shit's not gonna fly here. On this podcast, Wexner and Guy also face the threat of subpoenas to testify in the ongoing lawsuit against Ohio State by Strauss abuse survivors. Ohio State intervened, arguing that Wexner shouldn't have to testify. Of course not. Let's protect our buddy. It's always about protecting our donors, protecting who's paying the bills, right? Whether it's our politicians or our universities, it's always the same story. Strauss time at Ohio State, where he's alleged to have sexually assaulted dozens of students, overlap with Guy's time as president and. And Wexner's time as the chair of the university's Board of trustees. When asked by Jurevich, Guy declined to comment on the Strauss case. This is a legal matter of which I'm not free to talk about, so I will just not answer that question, guy said. Only four months ago, Geese spoke to wosu, frankly, confirming he expected to be deposed in the case. Geese said in September, he Can't remember much of anything from that time or. Oh, of course not. Amnesia, baby, we all got it right. Especially if it has to do with you sitting on the stand and answering a subpoena. Guy told Jurevich on Wednesday he is known for not holding his tongue on controversial issues. I'm well known for getting ahead on my skis. I'm well known for having the quip. I'm the only guy who's ever been featured for some of the stupid things I've said. I On the front page of the New York Times, Guy said. And that's what you brag about. The fact that you're a blowhard, the fact that you're a. Okay, I guess. Steve Snyder Hill, one of Strauss survivors suing the university, criticized Ghee's cancel culture comment. Using an expletive. Snyder Hill said the group just wants Wexner to say under oath that he had no knowledge about Strauss criminal actions. We're not trying to cancel Les Wexner from anything. Unfortunately for Mr. Wexner, right now he's under a lot of scrutiny with the U. S. Government. Snyder Hill said he questioned why it's such a big ask for Ohio State, Wexner and Guy to testify in the case. Jurovich asked Guy whether Wexner really didn't know Epstein or what Epstein did. I think that Mr. Wexner made it very clear, but, you know, people are going to get their own scenarios going on and. And whatever they want to. I think people are getting too much exercise jumping to conclusions rather than really being fact based on any of these kinds of things, Guy said. Says the guy that doesn't use facts when he's talking about his buddy. It's always somebody else who's missing the bigger picture, right? It's always you. You're too stupid to really understand somebody like Les Wexner. No, we're just too normal. He's a degenerate and another sick bastard. That's right. I said it. I think he's a degenerate. And I also believe that he abused Virginia. I believe that. And as far as Maria story of him and his security holding her hostage, I believe that, too. GE said that he texted Wexner before he made his trip to Columbus in hopes of meeting up. He said Wexner is currently in Florida. Wexner faces a congressional subpoena to be deposed about his relationship to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The billionaire, who is rarely seen in public, is scheduled to be on Capitol Hill on February 18th. Oh, I have my doubts about that. Guys like Wexner always find a way to wiggle off the hook. So is Wexner going to end up getting deposed? I hope so. He should. But will he? Well, that's the question. All right, folks, that's going to do it for this one. All of the information that goes with this episode can be found in the description box.