The Property
9 East 71st Street, the seven-story limestone townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is the largest private residence in New York City. Les Wexner purchased it in 1989 and invested substantially in its renovation.
The 1996 Transfer
In 1996, Wexner transferred the property to Epstein. The deed reflected a transaction price of zero or nominal consideration. He effectively gave the property away.
The Stated Explanation
Wexner has said he transferred the property because he was spending his time primarily in Ohio, near L Brands headquarters in Columbus, and no longer needed the Manhattan townhouse. He said Epstein, who needed a New York base, could have it.
The Questions It Raises
The gift of a major Manhattan property worth many tens of millions of dollars to a financial advisor, as opposed to simply selling it on the market, is extraordinary. It reflects either a remarkably generous act or something more complex in the financial relationship.
Later Use
The townhouse became the primary New York base for Epstein’s trafficking operation, the site of most victim encounters described in testimony, and ultimately the site of the 2019 search that produced key evidence.