One of the most candid moments from Les Wexner’s congressional deposition may not have come from the witness himself – but from the man sitting beside him.
Les Wexner (full name: Leslie Herbert Wexner), born on September 8, 1937, is a billionaire businessman and philanthropist, currently 88 years old. He founded L Brands (originally The Limited) in 1963, growing it into a major retail empire that included brands like Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Pink, and formerly Abercrombie & Fitch, serving as CEO and chairman for decades before stepping down around 2020 amid scrutiny over his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Video released Thursday from Wexner’s testimony this week before the House Oversight Committee quickly went viral, but not because of anything the billionaire and former Epstein associate said.
Roughly four and a half hours (4:25:06) into the hearing, attorney Michael Levy leaned toward his 88-year-old client and appeared to whisper a remark that was picked up by a hot microphone, saying: “I’ll f*cking kill you if you answer another question with more than five words, okay?”
Clips of the moment have spread across social media, racking up millions of views and sparking a wave of jokes, memes, and more serious questions about why Wexner’s legal team wanted to keep Wexner’s answers brief.
The remark from his attorney came soon after Wexner was asked how Epstein could have had other clients while managing Wexner’s extensive financial portfolio – a question that prompted Wexner to begin explaining the breakdown of his personal finances in further detail.
It was not the first time Levy had intervened; earlier in the session, he had repeatedly reminded his client to answer questions directly rather than launch into rambling or anecdotal stories.
Wexner was subpoenaed by the committee after his name surfaced more than 200 times across the released Epstein files. The deposition lasted nearly 5 hours and covered decades of financial transactions and messages between the two men.
A press release announcing the subpoena from the Oversight Democrats in January read: “Les Wexner is a billionaire businessman, a long-time benefactor of Jeffrey Epstein, and at one point, was Epstein’s only documented client. Public reporting has documented their longstanding ties, including the fact Wexner paid for Epstein’s home in New York City. Additionally, Virginia Giuffre named Wexner in a deposition as one of the men she was trafficked to.”
Throughout his testimony, Wexner had a few surprising moments.
He described Epstein as the “World Olympic, all-time con artist” – worse, he claimed, than Bernie Madoff – while insisting that their relationship was strictly professional.
Wexner also maintained he never witnessed any of Epstein’s crimes and said that he even confronted Epstein in the early 2000s after rumors began to surface of his dark ways, only to be told that Epstein was being “shaken down by a hooker” – an explanation Wexner admitted that he accepted at face value.
Wexner denied allegations from accuser Virginia Giuffre that Epstein trafficked her to him, calling the claims “absolutely and entirely false.” He did acknowledge visiting Epstein’s infamous island once, describing it as “crummy,” but said he had minimal contact with figures like former Prince Andrew or Donald Trump through Epstein.
As of Friday, groups, including the Ohio Nurses’ Association, have called for Wexner’s name to be removed from institutions he has funded. A Facebook post from the nurses group says, “Today, we sent a formal letter to Ohio State leadership calling on the university to remove the Wexner name from all campus and medical facilities. Healing institutions must center survivors – not powerful legacies. If there is no affirmative commitment to act, we will gather for a peaceful, informational picket.”
Wexner has not been charged with a crime.