Les Wexner

I was driven to escape from my childhood and to be something, maybe create my own world or career the way I wanted it to be.

It came from very modest circumstance.

My father was born in Russia.

As I was traveling around in Europe, Asia, in my mind, there must be this wonderful lingerie shop.

They don't exist.

So I had this imagination that there's this wonderful lingerie store, except I can't find one in Paris.

I called the owner up, found out who the owner was, and I called him.

I said, next time I'm in San Francisco, I'd like to meet you.

And he said, oh, I don't want to meet you because you just want to understand my secrets.

And about a year later, I get a phone call.

This is Roy Raymond.

Are you still interested in buying my business?

And I said, well, maybe I'll be out in a week or two.

He said, no, if you want to buy the business, you've got to come out right now.

He was going broke.

I didn't know what the margin was.

I didn't know anything about it.

I didn't know about fits, constructions, all this stuff.

I said, I'd figure it out.

And so I bought the business.