Currently married to Abigail Koppel and residing in New Albany, Ohio, Wexner, now 76, is considered as the richest man in Ohio. His source of wealth is mainly self-made and came from his retail empire. Born to Russian Jewish immigrants, he is now known as the Bra Billionaire. Although born from a well-off family, he created his venture from the $5,000 that he borrowed from his aunt. With the money, he founded The Limited which focuses on clothing for younger women. Compared to his family’s business of general merchandise store, his’ was more specific and focused. With his strong entrepreneurial skills, he was able to make his business grow and outperformed his family’s business. A year from the time he operated, his family decided to close their general merchandise store to join him.
His moniker as the Bra Billionaire came from his success in founding brand names like Victoria’s Secret and Pink. He further expanded his conglomerate and put up other brand names like Bath & Body Works, The White Barn Candle Company, La Senza, Henri Bendel and C. O. Bigelow. With all these businesses that he handled, not even including those that they have divested, he is known as the longest CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
His businesses, however, were caught in an allegation of using slave labor, both in the United States and abroad. These charges were particularly directed against Victoria’s Secret. Other than generating billions of dollars, Wexner is busy with his philanthropic works. Together with his mother Bella, they were the first ones to make a $1 million donation to the United Way.