Despite his deep and long-standing ties to Jeffrey Epstein, billionaire Les Wexner remains an almost untouchable figure in Columbus, Ohio—revered as a philanthropic titan and regional kingmaker. Wexner, the founder of L Brands and the man behind Victoria’s Secret, has wielded enormous influence over the city’s economic and cultural landscape for decades. From hospitals to art centers to Ohio State University, his name is etched into nearly every major institution, with donations totaling hundreds of millions. This civic dominance has insulated him from the level of scrutiny other Epstein-linked figures have received. In Columbus, Wexner is not just a businessman—he’s a legacy, a power broker whose wealth and prestige have bought loyalty, silence, or both.

But beneath the surface, that reverence is increasingly uncomfortable. Epstein once held power of attorney over Wexner’s finances, lived in a Wexner-owned mansion, and was given an unusual level of control over Wexner’s personal and professional affairs—facts that have raised serious questions about just how much Wexner knew and when. Yet in Columbus, public officials and institutional leaders rarely speak of it. The media coverage is polite, the criticism muted, and the donor gratitude eternal. It’s as if the city made a conscious choice to separate Wexner the benefactor from Wexner the enabler, ignoring the fact that his empowerment of Epstein may have been a central piece of the larger abuse machinery. In any other city, he might be scrutinized. In Columbus, he’s still the king.

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https://www.columbusmonthly.com/story/lifestyle/features/2022/10/25/what-jeffrey-epstein-scandal-means-to-columbus-and-les-wexner/69589703007/