The Separation

In August 2019, Les Wexner wrote a letter to the Wexner Foundation. The letter was 564 words long. In those 564 words, he built the story that has protected him ever since.¹

The story goes like this: after Florida authorities charged Epstein in early 2006, Wexner agreed that Epstein should "step back from the management of our personal finances." During that process, Wexner discovered Epstein had "misappropriated vast sums of money." It was a tremendous shock. He was embarrassed. He deeply regretted ever crossing Epstein's path.

The separation, Wexner said, happened in 2007.

The documents in the Epstein files cover every month of 2007 — and most of 2006, and some of 2010 — and they tell a story that the 564-word letter cannot survive.

September 2006: "UNBELEIVABLE — CONGRAGULATIONS"link

Florida filed charges against Epstein in early 2006. If Wexner's account is true, this is when the process of disentangling began.

So let's see what disentangling looked like.

In late August and early September 2006, Abigail Wexner — Les's wife — was emailing Jeffrey Epstein about her show-jumping horse, Authentic, competing with rider Beezie Madden at an international equestrian event. She sent him updates after every round. He responded to each one.²

"Another flawless round of hers brought the US the silver medal."

Epstein: "amazing"

"Well she held on and finished today in the #1 spot!!!!!"

Epstein: "UNBELEIVABLE — CONGRAGULATIONS"

"What time does it start tomorrow?"

This wasn't a reluctant final exchange. This was a woman texting a close friend about her horse, over multiple days, with enthusiasm on both sides. These are people who like each other.

Three weeks later, Les Wexner wrote to Epstein directly:³

"I'm taking Abigail to airport...she is coming to ny....I think this is it....about 1 or so u might call her or visit her...not good."

Les Wexner — the man who claims to have been separating from Epstein — was asking Epstein to comfort his wife. To call her. To visit her. Because something was "not good."

Epstein's response: "got it."

This is September 2006. Eight months after Florida charged Epstein with multiple counts of molestation and unlawful sexual activity with a minor. The Wexners were not distancing. They were leaning in.

The $271 Million "FYI"link

Rewind one more year. In October 2005, a Merrill Lynch private banker named Edward Spector emailed Epstein about Abigail Wexner's personal financial holdings:⁴

"Just a reminder.. Abigail has Nikkei warrants which expire in Jan 2007. Cost was 450m; Market a/o Oct 14th was 721m; Unrealized Gain a/o Oct 14th was $271m."

Abigail Wexner's quarter-billion-dollar derivatives positions were being reported to Jeffrey Epstein by her own private banker. Not to her. Not to Les. To Epstein.

He responded: "ok."

One word. Because when you control a billionaire's fortune, a $271 million FYI is Tuesday.

July 2007: The $75,000 Checklink

Wexner says the separation happened in "early 2007." The bank records say otherwise.

On July 18, 2007, JPMorgan processed a $75,000 book transfer from "LESLIE H WEXNER PERSONAL ASSETS, NEW ALBANY OH" to New York Strategy Group, LLC — Epstein's personal consulting entity. The reference line: "CONSULTANT."⁵

The account had started the month with a $6,282 balance. After Wexner's payment, it held $81,299. This wasn't a residual automatic payment grinding through some forgotten system. This was a discrete transfer, from Wexner's personal assets, labeled "consultant," sent six months after the supposed clean break.

It wasn't the first. In April 2005, the same account received $100,000 from Wexner, labeled "REIMBURSE OUTSIDE CONSULTANT." At that point, the NYSG money market account held $2.4 million.⁶

The pattern was established and ongoing. Wexner paid Epstein. The payments were labeled "consultant." They continued into July 2007. The separation didn't interrupt them.

September 2007: "Advisor to the Wexner Family"link

On September 21, 2007, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem — chairman of Dubai World and Nakheel, the company that built the Palm Islands — sent an email introducing Epstein to his chief investment officer:⁷

"dear laiboon — comunicate with mr jefffrey epstein board member and investment advisor to the wexner family"

Nine months after the supposed separation. And Epstein wasn't merely claiming the Wexner title. He was being introduced with it by the chairman of a sovereign wealth fund — a man who had no reason to fabricate the description and every reason to verify it before making introductions at that level.

Epstein's preceding message to bin Sulayem was direct: "we should move forward. if you want I can speak directly to your financial people."

This isn't a man winding down his affairs. This is a man pitching new deals, with the Wexner name as his credential, nine months into what was supposed to be a separation.

November 2007: The Million-Share Thanksgivinglink

This is the one that ends the debate.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2007, a lawyer at Davis Polk & Wardwell named David Caplan sent an email to Darren Indyke, several L Brands executives, and CC'd Abigail Wexner. Subject line: "Final Decision re Wexner Trust."⁸

"Per Abigail, final decision is to implement the original arrangement: buy in the mkt tomorrow without disrupting mkt activity with the remainder (1 million less the shares bought tomorrow) to be purchased thru a 10b5-1 plan."

One million shares. Wexner Trust. Through Citibank. Abigail making the final call.

Darren Indyke — Epstein's personal attorney — forwarded this email to Epstein with a one-word note: "FYI."⁹

The next day, Epstein forwarded it again to Abigail Wexner, adding his own commentary:¹⁰

"Darren said frankly he thought you didn't want me involved. he and gideon opened an acct with citi.. the trader told darren that he could buy no more than an additional 50-100 thousand shares without moving the market."

Read that sentence again. "Darren said frankly he thought you didn't want me involved." Epstein's own attorney — a man who managed Epstein's legal and financial affairs and would later manage his estate — was telling Epstein that Abigail might not want him in the loop on a Wexner Trust stock purchase. Eleven months after the supposed separation, the question wasn't whether Epstein was out. The question was whether Abigail wanted him in.

Her answer settled it:

"I spoke to Darren and told him not to worry about it — in the end it is fine and not a problem."

Fine. Not a problem. Keep going.

Eleven months after the supposed separation, Jeffrey Epstein was receiving internal Davis Polk emails about million-share Wexner Trust purchases, his personal attorney was executing the trades through Citibank, and the billionaire's wife was reassuring him that his involvement was welcome.

September 2010: Still Callinglink

The longest-dated evidence comes three and a half years after the supposed break.

On September 8, 2010, Lesley Groff — Epstein's longtime assistant — emailed Epstein:¹¹

"I called Les Wexner's office and spoke to Rachel Sutherland. I asked her for Les' email address and mentioned, possibly it is still the same from before but she told me it would be best to use either her or Donna's email address for Les which are below. She would not confirm we have the correct address for Les."

By 2010, Epstein had pleaded guilty. He had served his sentence. He was a registered sex offender. And his assistant was still placing calls to Wexner's office — and getting a polite runaround, not a dial tone. Sutherland didn't hang up. She didn't say "Mr. Wexner has no relationship with that person." She offered alternative contact emails.

The door wasn't closed. It was managed.

The 564-Word Versionlink

Here is what Les Wexner told the world in August 2019:

He was deceived. He was embarrassed. He discovered the misappropriation in 2007. He separated. He recovered $46 million in securities. Every dollar was originally Wexner family money.¹

Here is what the documents show:

Every data point after the supposed separation shows the same thing: financial payments, operational involvement, personal warmth, continued access. Not a single document in the Epstein files records a moment where Les or Abigail Wexner told Epstein to stop calling, stop managing, or stop using the Wexner name.

The separation was 564 words written twelve years after the fact, when the man who controlled your fortune was arrested by the Southern District of New York and the whole world was watching.

It wasn't a separation. It was a press release.

This article draws on the "Absolute Control" — Wexner-Epstein Investigation research dossier. It is the third in the Wexner Machine series.

Sources & Documentslink

1. EFTA00172284 — New York Times, August 7, 2019. Wexner's 564-word letter: "misappropriated vast sums," "early 2007" separation claim, $46M recovery. View →
2. Epstein–Abigail Wexner correspondence — Yahoo email archive, August 30–September 3, 2006. "BEEZIE" horse competition updates between Abigail Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein. View →
3. Epstein–Les Wexner correspondence — Yahoo email archive, September 25, 2006. Les Wexner asks Epstein to call/visit Abigail in New York. View →
4. Epstein–Edward Spector correspondence — Yahoo email archive, October 16, 2005. Merrill Lynch reports Abigail's $271M Nikkei warrants position to Epstein. View →
5. EFTA01514157 — JPMorgan bank statement, July 2007. $75,000 book transfer from "Leslie H Wexner Personal Assets" to New York Strategy Group LLC, reference "CONSULTANT." View →
6. EFTA01514070 — JPMorgan bank statement, April 2005. $100,000 wire from Leslie H Wexner to NYSG money market ($2.4M balance), reference "REIMBURSE OUTSIDE CONSULTANT." View →
7. Sultan bin Sulayem email — Yahoo email archive, September 21, 2007. Dubai World chairman introduces Epstein as "board member and investment advisor to the wexner family." View →
8. Darren Indyke → Epstein — Yahoo email archive, November 22, 2007. Forwards "Final Decision re Wexner Trust" million-share stock purchase to Epstein. View →
9. David Caplan email — Davis Polk & Wardwell, November 22, 2007. "Per Abigail, final decision is to implement the original arrangement" — 1 million share purchase via 10b5-1 plan. View →
10. Epstein → Abigail Wexner — Yahoo email archive, November 23–24, 2007. "Darren said frankly he thought you didn't want me involved." Abigail: "fine and not a problem." View →
11. EFTA02422998 — Lesley Groff email, September 8, 2010. Groff calls Wexner's office for Les's email address; office provides alternatives but won't confirm. View →