An Ohio business mogul and billionaire, and former Jeffrey Epstein associate, is reportedly the buyer behind the Island’s record-breaking $37 million residential sale of Blue Heron Farm, a Chilmark property where the Obama family vacationed.
The Real Deal, a magazine focused on real estate news, first reported that a trust tied to the family of Les Wexner, the founder of L Brands, which once included Victoria’s Secret, had purchased the Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark.
The magazine does not state how it confirmed that Wexner is the new owner of the nearly 30-acre property, but it highlights that Ohio-based Matthew Zeiger was named as the trustee in the property deed. According to the Real Deal, “Zeiger is based in New Albany, Ohio, a town Wexner lives in and is largely credited with developing.” New Albany is also where companies and organizations tied to the Wexner family, like the Wexner Foundation, are located.
Zeiger was not immediately available for comment. The properties were listed by brokers MGS Group and Corcoran Property Advisors. Agents Maggie Gold Seelig of MGS Group and Brian Dougherty of Corcoran Property Advisors were also not immediately available for comment.
Zeiger replaced S. Fain Hackney, an Island attorney, as trustee for the Blue Heron Farm property.
In property records at the Dukes County Registry of Deeds, the sale was recorded on July 10 as a conveyance to a trust. The four properties on Cobbs Hill Road were “granted” to the new trust, called the Blue Heron Farm Nominee Trust. The nominee trust was also created and recorded on July 10 and signed by Hackney. When previously reached by The MV Times, Hackney said that he could not comment as to who the beneficiaries are under the trust that purchased the property. This type of transaction is established to prevent the general public from knowing who the buyer is, which is allowed under Massachusetts property laws.
Wexner has had massive entrepreneurial success over the decades, and has been a major force in the socioeconomic development of Ohio through real estate development and philanthropy.
The Ohio businessman also fell under public scrutiny for his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier who was accused of running a child sex ring. Epstein formerly worked as Wexner’s financial advisor. Wexner has said he cut ties with Epstein in 2007 after allegations of abusing underage girls came to light the previous year. There have been allegations that Wexner was aware of Epstein’s abuses against young women; Wexner has strongly denied them.
Why is it anyone’s business who bought it?
Too bad there is a not a “morals clause” that could be invoked to cancel the sale.
Who needs another Epstein associate on the island?
We already have too many.
If we had morals clauses as a condition of buying property, no property would be purchased. We would also have difficulty defining morals dont you think?
Dear Andrew, I can envision a Vineyard Morality Police Force to pen this clause. The Force could include an unrepentant drug dealer, a food preparer selling unsanitary locally grown produce (imported from Mexico), and a town official who calls a racist incident injuring a child, “Kids being kids”. Or perhaps The Force could include someone willing to threaten workers with a sharp object, while screaming like a lunatic in order to save a tree? The only job requirement to join the clause-writing Force could be a heightened sense of moral indignation… toward others’ grave ethical failings, never one’s own. (Any resemblance to real people or circumstances is purely coincidental.)
But less imaginary, depending on individual political views, the real morality police (not capitalized) decide who, of all Epstein’s dozens and dozens of associates, are guilty of participating in his evil enterprises and therefore unfit to buy property. Choices include, but not limited to, two different US Presidents, a Vice President, a constitutional law genius, a bonafide prince, a theoretical physicist, and a Jewish philanthropist. Pick your guilty target!
Les Wexner himself is a hero to many. May The Force not be with him. http://www.wexnerfoundation.org
A record transaction should equal a record tax bill
I’d be more worried that the new owner will have his property under assessed
Use the increased revenue to address the housing crisis
That, morally, would be the right thing to do
There is nothing moral in the government trying to equalize income for all. If you want to change rules about assessments do so but giving the surplus to create housing for poor people only brings more poor people to MV. MV is a destination resort and will always have disproportionate incomes. You cant and shouldn’t fix that.
So, Lex Wexner, the billionaire who bankrolled Jeffery Epstein so he could begin his empire of evil, just bought the oceanfront estate Obama used to rent: for $37 million. A new record and another billionaire who’s not concerned about rising seas. I can just hear the old Saturday Night Live bit with The Church Lady: “Well, isn’t that special!”
Is it confirmed that Wexner, an 87 year old philanthropist, is the buyer? Gossip and defamatory innuendo are damaging to a community that relies on news from their newspaper. Let’s please not go all Tucker Carlson here.
As a very positive force in philanthropic championing of Jewish learning, ethics, and teaching, it is indeed curious why and how Leslie Wexner would be suckered in by a depraved but charming and secretive conman sex trafficker– the way US presidents and others have also been taken in. Hundreds of prominent people have been associated with Epstein– and most of the innuendo amounts to a nothing burger– or a hill of beans if you’re a vegan. But guilt by association is a thing.
As far as I know, all kinds of immoral scoundrels, some quite dangerous, can buy and sell property, tainted food products, fake gold jewelry, and anything else for sale on the island. I don’t think moral clauses can help out here.
Real-estate ownership is a matter of public record.
Who is your best guess as to the owner?
You think that someone just made this up?
Hundreds of prominent people have been associated with Epstein–Trump being the most prominent-nothing burger.
As far as I know, all kinds of immoral scoundrels, some quite dangerous, can buy and sell property, tainted food products, fake gold jewelry, and anything else for sale.
Trump Inc.
Reportedly, the buyer is a trust associated with the family. Billionaires have lots of trusts that could have bought the property for a family member or close associate. Les Wexner is not the only person in his family.
I wish the moderator had posted my comment about a “Lex Wexner” being confused with Lex Luther of Superman fame. Oh well.
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