The Billionaire, the Mansion and the Monster: How this retail magnate’s wealth helped Jeffrey Epstein rise to power | World News

Washington: In a private room inside his Ohio home, 88-year-old retail magnate Les Wexner sat across from members of the United States House Oversight Committee. Lawmakers arrived with briefs and fielded questions about Jeffrey Epstein’s rise from unknown money manager to financier with extraordinary reach. The interrogation comes after the US Department of Justice released a series of documents related to the late convicted sex offender.

The recordings, released on January 30, 2026, are part of a large collection of documents gathered during the federal investigations into Epstein. He pleaded guilty in 2008 to procuring a minor for prostitution and was later charged with sex trafficking minors before he died by suicide in federal custody in 2019.

Wexner’s name appears on file in both redacted and unredacted form in financial records and correspondence. In a press release, she expressed regret for trusting Epstein and called him a fraudster. He said he had been deceived, insisted he had done nothing illegal, and claimed he had nothing to hide.

For decades, Epstein cultivated relationships with prominent corporate executives, politicians and academic leaders. At the center of this network was Wexner, the founder of L Brands, the retail empire behind Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works and The Limited. His wealth and reputation helped Epstein gain access to powerful people and build his image as a wealthy and influential person around the world.

The townhouse that charts his rise to power

Epstein first met Wexner in the mid-1980s. The former did not have a formal university degree at the time. He briefly taught mathematics at Manhattan’s elite Dalton School and worked at Bear Stearns before starting his own consulting firm. His meeting with Wexner was decisive.

By 1991, Wexner had given Epstein full power of attorney. Legal authority allowed him to sign checks, hire employees, obtain loans and manage property transactions in Wexner’s name. The transfer of such extensive control was a rarity in corporate America and a sign of deep trust.

Justice Department documents now detail the transfer of Wexner’s mansion at 9 East 71st Street in Manhattan. A settlement that included a $10 million promissory note and personal guarantee formalized Epstein’s control over the property. The residence later became his headquarters in New York and a symbol of his standing among the elite.

In the early 1990s, Epstein took on official roles in Wexner’s corporate and philanthropic network. He served as a trustee of the Wexner Foundation and led real estate companies affiliated with Wexner. In 1996, he moved his operations to the U.S. Virgin Islands and described himself as an offshore financier with access to large pools of capital.

His authority over wealth and philanthropy gave him institutional legitimacy. He could present himself as a trusted financier of one of America’s most powerful retail entrepreneurs. This perception has proven valuable in elite social and political circles.

Israel connection and trust funds

One line from that period goes directly to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. In 2003, he met Epstein at a meeting in Washington. Former Israeli President Shimon Peres introduced Epstein to Barak.

Between 2004 and 2006, the Wexner Foundation paid Barak approximately $2.3 million for commissioned research studies on leadership and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Foundation later stated that a completed document justified the payment.

Barak, who served as Israeli prime minister from 1999 to 2001 and later as defense minister, had been in contact with Epstein for years. Newly released court filings include Virginia Giuffre’s claim that Epstein sold her to several powerful men, including Wexner and Barak. The filing provides no evidence to support the claim, and neither man has faced criminal charges in connection with Epstein’s conduct.

Earlier this year, Barak said in a television interview that he did not fully understand the crimes Epstein committed during his collaboration and expressed regret at meeting him.

She stated that she severed ties with him around 2007 after discovering that a large amount of money had been embezzled from him and his family. Even after this breakup, the status and wealth that Epstein had accumulated during their relationship was not lost.

From philanthropy to political outreach

Emails released by the Justice Department reveal that Epstein maintained connections in political circles even after breaking up with Wexner. In October 2014, Nili Priel Barak contacted him regarding a trip to New York and suggested meeting dates for Ehud Barak. He then forwarded her a draft of an opinion piece and asked for her feedback.

Epstein responded to the unpublished work with suggestions for editing. The draft showed Barak’s political voice and discussed his discussions with US President Barack Obama, as well as discussions on the two-state solution.

In 2015, Epstein invested in Reporty Homeland Security, later renamed Carbyne, a technology startup headed by Barak focused on advanced emergency communications systems. The company included former Israeli security officials in senior roles, including the chief executive of a former special forces officer and a former Israeli Defense Ministry director general.

Documents from 2012 to 2014 show that Epstein also helped Barak explore security technology-related business opportunities with African leaders. This model shows how financial credibility translates into political access and then expands into commercial partnerships.

Barak later accepted responsibility for his decisions and stated that he should have looked into Epstein’s past further.

Wexner has never been charged with a crime in connection with Epstein and has maintained that he had no knowledge of the financier’s criminal behavior. But his name appears again and again in the newly released files, showing how central their relationship once was.

The story of Epstein’s rise moves through corporate boardrooms, philanthropic foundations and political offices. At a crucial stage of this rise stood a billionaire retailer whose trust gave him legitimacy. Now emerging documents provide a clearer view of how power, prestige and reach converged in those years, and how the effects of this convergence continued long after the initial alliance ended.