From Grokipedia
Full articleLeslie Herbert Wexner (born September 8, 1937 (age 88)) is an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist best known as the founder of The Limited in 1963, which grew into L Brands (now Bath & Body Works, Inc.), a retail conglomerate he established in Columbus, Ohio, with a single store that evolved into a global empire including Victoria's Secret (acquired in 1982), Bath & Body Works, and Pink.
Wexner served as chairman and CEO of L Brands for over five decades, growing it into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise before stepping down in 2020 and assuming the role of chairman emeritus.
As of October 2025, his net worth stands at approximately $9.8 billion, making him Ohio's richest resident.
Through the Wexner Foundation and direct contributions, he has donated nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to Ohio institutions, notably funding the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University and leadership development programs.
In brief
Leslie Wexner opened a sportswear shop in Columbus and kept opening until The Limited was a public company with daughters named Express, Abercrombie, and Victoria’s Secret. For a generation the mall belonged to him.
He later split the empire and stayed a major Ohio donor. The stores are the achievement; the city still shows the gifts.
Photographs
Hero photograph: Wikimedia Commons
