A day after Jeffrey Epstein was arrested by federal agents on sex-trafficking charges in 2019, investigators were already trying to reach people they believed could be closely linked to him. According to the NYT, newly released and heavily redacted emails show that around 10 individuals were flagged as possible “co-conspirators,” though most names were blacked out.
Only three names were visible in the documents. One was Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, who was later convicted of sex trafficking. Another was Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modelling agent suspected of helping Epstein find young girls. Brunel was later found dead in a Paris jail cell in 2022. The third name was Leslie Wexner. The billionaire retail tycoon was once considered Epstein’s most powerful supporter.
Who is Leslie Wexner? The billionaire linked to Epstein’s finances
Leslie Herbert Wexner, born in 1937 in Dayton, Ohio, is one of America’s most famous names in the retail business. He built an empire that included brands like Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Abercrombie & Fitch, and La Senza. Wexner is best known as the founder of The Limited, which changed American mall culture in the late 20th century.
Wexner grew up in a Jewish family and has Russian roots. He attended Ohio State University, where he studied business. His retail career began in his parents’ clothing store. In 1963, with a $5,000 loan from his aunt and bank financing, he opened the first Limited store in Ohio. The business took off sooner than expected, and by 1969, it was publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
From 1987 to 2007, Wexner employed Jeffrey Epstein as his personal financial manager. Epstein ran his money-management operation out of a property owned by Wexner. Their partnership ended in 2007, after Epstein was first indicted in Florida on sex-related charges.
Over the years, former associates of Wexner have publicly questioned how close his relationship with Epstein truly was. Still, Wexner has repeatedly claimed to cut ties completely and has said he did not know about Epstein’s crimes at the time.
Back in 2019, in a letter to his company, Wexner wrote, “I am embarrassed that, like so many others, I was deceived by Mr Epstein. I know now that my trust in him was grossly misplaced, and I deeply regret having ever crossed his path.”
Who Is Ghislaine Maxwell? Epstein’s closest partner in crime
Ghislaine Maxwell was once a regular presence in elite social circles, but she is now serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls. In December 2021, a federal jury found her guilty following a month-long trial.
According to the prosecutors, Maxwell played a key role in Epstein’s abuse network from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. According to court records, she helped find vulnerable girls, many of whom were financially struggling or belonged to single-parent homes, and slowly gained their trust. Some victims were as young as 14. Prosecutors said she often stayed in the room during abuse. In some cases, she actively participated in the abuse.
The grooming and abuse happened across several locations, including Epstein’s homes in New York, Florida, and New Mexico, as well as Maxwell’s residence in London. In June 2022, Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a fine of $750,000.
Epstein Files: Inside the federal email
According to the NYT, because large sections of the emails were redacted, it is still unclear who exactly sent them. One message, signed with “FBI New York,” asked for an update on the status of contacting the 10 suspected co-conspirators.
Hours later, another email replied that efforts were underway across several states, including New York, Florida, Massachusetts, and Ohio. The message ended by noting uncertainty about whether Ohio officials had contacted Wexner.
Wexner’s legal representative later told The New York Times that he was not a target of the investigation and was never treated as a co-conspirator. According to the statement, Wexner had cooperated with federal prosecutors, shared background information about Epstein, and was not contacted again after that.