Retail billionaire Les Wexner has been served with a subpoena in the sprawling Ohio State University s-x–l abuse lawsuit tied to disgraced team doctor Richard Strauss, igniting fresh scrutiny of one of the most powerful figures in Ohio business and reopening long-simmering questions about his past association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Les Wexner, one of the wealthiest and most influential businessmen in Ohio history, built a retail empire that included brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Express through his former company L Brands. Long viewed as a reclusive power broker, Wexner wielded enormous influence in business, politics, and philanthropy, particularly at Ohio State University, where buildings, programs, and initiatives bear his name.
A detailed summary of male survivor Barrett Pall’s experience in Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking ring. pic.twitter.com/vo4C26jGYZ
— grizzy (@Furbeti) January 25, 2026
Attorneys representing survivors of Strauss’ abuse confirmed that Les Wexner was formally subpoenaed as part of ongoing civil litigation against Ohio State. Lawyers for Wexner immediately moved to block the subpoena, arguing that the founder of L Brands has no relevant testimony to offer in the decades-long abuse scandal that has already resulted in massive settlements and reputational damage to the university.
Strauss, a former OSU physician, is accused of s-x—ly abusing hundreds of male students over a period spanning nearly two decades. Multiple investigations have concluded that university officials failed to act despite repeated warnings. Survivors’ attorneys say Les Wexner’s role as a towering donor and influential power broker at Ohio State makes his testimony critical.
Les Wexner’s legal team insists he had no knowledge of Strauss’ misconduct and should not be compelled to testify. But plaintiffs’ attorneys argue that Wexner’s proximity to OSU leadership, combined with his extensive philanthropic involvement, warrants closer examination under oath.
The subpoena has also revived public attention on a controversial relationship between Les Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein, a connection that has long fueled speculation, unanswered questions, and calls for deeper investigation.
Jeffrey Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, was once one of Les Wexner’s closest confidants. In the late 1980s and 1990s, Epstein emerged seemingly out of nowhere as Wexner’s financial adviser, despite a murky résumé that included a brief stint as a teacher at the elite Dalton School — the same private school attended by Wexner’s children.
Billionaire Investor Les Wexner Will Be Subpoenaed In Epstein Investigation By House Oversight Committeehttps://t.co/RvLm0qlw9S pic.twitter.com/bcss0bqtZu
— Forbes (@Forbes) January 8, 2026
Over time, Les Wexner granted Jeffrey Epstein extraordinary access and authority, according to a New York Times Magazine report shared by WOSU. Epstein was given sweeping power of attorney over Wexner’s finances, controlled aspects of his real estate holdings, and was entrusted with managing personal wealth estimated in the billions. Epstein also came to live in a lavish Manhattan townhouse later revealed to have been transferred to him by Wexner for a nominal sum, a deal that has never been fully explained.
Breaking: Les Wexner Scheduled to Testify Before Congress next month!
Ohio billionaire & Jeffrey Epstein associate Les Wexner will testify before Congress in a deposition on Feb. 18 in Washington D.C.
The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform subpoenaed… pic.twitter.com/YrOaA5cq8A
— LIZ CROKIN (@LizCrokin) January 28, 2026
Wexner has said he severed ties with Epstein in 2007, claiming he was defrauded of tens of millions of dollars. He has described Epstein as a con artist who betrayed his trust. Epstein, for his part, cultivated the image of a well-connected financier with elite access, an image widely believed to have been bolstered by his association with Les Wexner.
Critics and investigators have long questioned how Jeffrey Epstein rose so quickly from relative obscurity to immense wealth and influence, and how he maintained access to powerful institutions and individuals for years after his first criminal conviction in Florida.
While no court has accused Wexner of wrongdoing related to Epstein’s crimes, the relationship has remained a focal point for investigators and journalists probing how Epstein operated with apparent impunity.
The Strauss lawsuit has already exposed systemic failures at Ohio State, including a culture that protected powerful interests while ignoring victims. Plaintiffs’ lawyers argue that understanding how influence functioned at the highest levels is essential to establishing accountability.
Wexner’s attorneys have asked the court to quash the subpoena, setting up a legal fight that could determine whether the billionaire must answer questions under oath about his role, influence, and knowledge during the period when Strauss was abusing students.
As the case moves forward, survivors say the pursuit of testimony from powerful figures is about more than money. It is about transparency, accountability, and ensuring that institutions — and the people who shape them — are no longer shielded from scrutiny.
With Jeffrey Epstein’s shadow still looming over unanswered questions and Ohio State continuing to grapple with the fallout of the Strauss scandal, the subpoena served on Les Wexner marks another moment where long-protected power faces the possibility of public examination.
