In 1982 Leslie Wexner, the man who grew the Limited sportswear business, bought the VS stores and catalog for $1 million. He saw the potential to grow VS, modeling it after European lingerie companies where women viewed beautiful underthings as an essential. His plan worked — women shopped, though men were just as interested in the catalog. By 1995, he had grown VS to a $1.9 billion company with 670 stores nationally.
Today, Victoria's Secret is owned by Leslie Wexner's company, L Brands, an international company that recorded sales of $12.2 billion in 2015 and employs more than 88,000 associates. Bath & Body Works, La Senza, and Henri Bendel are also a part of the L Brands family.
