The billionaire retail magnate and former CEO of L Brands, Les Wexner, has recently made headlines after reports named him as the buyer behind the record breaking $37 million sale of Martha’s Vineyard Blue Heron Farm.
The property, which was designed by celebrity architect Norman Foster and was notably holidayed by the Obama family, was acquired through a trust connected to Wexner’s family, The Real Deal reported.
Though Wexner and his representatives have not officially confirmed the purchase, an Ohio-based trustee who has close connections to Wexner’s New Albany operations, Matthew Zeiger, is listed on the deed. The nominee trusts can be hidden under the Massachusetts law to shield the identity of beneficial owners, making ownership difficult to prove in the public record.
Barack and Michelle's new Martha's Vineyard home
The Obama house, on a 29-acre estate, has 7 bedrooms and 8 and a half bathrooms.
Florida’s DeSantis proposes sending illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard. How many can we fit on 29 acres pic.twitter.com/Zr5siSIbBF
— Jenness Myler (@MylerJenness) April 14, 2022
In 2020, Wexner retired as CEO of L Brands, becoming its chairman before fully retiring from the company. According to Newsweek, he then turned his attention to charity and has been reported to be living at an expansive Georgian-style estate in New Albany, Ohio. Forbes reports his present net worth as $5.6 billion.
Wexner, 84, is used to being in the public eye. As the creator of retail empires like the lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret and the kitchenware company Williams-Sonoma, he constructed an empire that influenced the growth nation’s mall culture.
He began with a single store in 1963, with a $5,000 loan from his aunt, and turned the business into a multibillion dollar operation.
The L Brands under his leadership set global fashion trends, and his charity work has had an immense impact on Ohio, contributing large donations to Ohio State University and creating the Wexner Foundation.
On the other hand, Les Wexner’s legacy has been tarnished, due to his association with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein, who killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on s*x trafficking of minors, was Wexner’s financial adviser for almost 20 years.
Businessman Les Wexner allowed Epstein to control his business affairs from 1987 to 2007.
Les Wexner had gifted Epstein his New York property in 1998.
Les Wexner allegedly committed crimes against the same victims as Epstein.
Les Wexner’s primary home is in New Albany, Ohio. pic.twitter.com/Xw1jgNf7Gh
— Southern FFA Family (@FFAFamily) July 17, 2025
At that time, Epstein was exclusively linked to Wexner and his business. Their friendship has come under scrutiny and criticism, particularly after it was reported that Epstein had employed his friendship with Wexner to impersonate a Victoria’s Secret talent scout (The Dispatch).
Wexner has said multiple times that he had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal behavior and that he cut ties with him in 2007, when he discovered that Epstein had misappropriated tens of millions of dollars from him.
Les Wexner’s foundation later regained $47 million from Epstein. Questions have lingered about the extent of their relationship.
TOPICS: Human Interest, Jeffrey Epstein, Les Wexner, Blue Heron Farm, Martha’s Vineyard Blue Heron Farm