So, you’re wondering who created Victoria’s Secret. The brand with the angels, the runway shows that broke the internet, and that one scent that every single person’s aunt seems to own. It’s a good question, and the answer is… well, it’s a little weird. And a lot 1980s.
Meet Roy Raymond. That’s the guy. A Stanford grad, a husband, and a man who was allegedly just trying to buy his wife some lingerie without feeling like a total creep. Seriously.
The "Ewww" Factor That Launched a Billion-Dollar Brand
Picture this: It’s 1977. A dude walks into a department store to buy his wife some underwear. What does he find? A sea of beige, unflattering cotton sacks hidden behind a dusty counter. Raymond later said he felt like a “pervert” just browsing. Awkward.
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So, he did what any frustrated husband with an MBA might do. He decided to create a store where a man could shop for lingerie without blushing. He wanted it to feel like a boudoir, not a hospital waiting room. Dark wood, silk, and mannequins that looked like they were having a good time.
He opened the first Victoria’s Secret in Palo Alto, California, in 1977. The name? That was pure marketing genius. It evoked old-world England and high-class Victorians. No one named Victoria was involved. It just sounded fancy.
The Sweet, Brief Success (and the Crushing Fall)
And guess what? It worked. The first year was a smash hit. Raymond’s little shop pulled in over $500,000. He expanded with a catalog that was basically a soft-core fashion show you could get in the mail. Excellence.
But here’s the thing. Roy Raymond was a great idea guy. He was not a great business guy. The brand grew too fast. He ran out of cash. By 1982, just five years in, he was desperate. He sold the whole shebang for about $4 million to a guy named Leslie Wexner.
Who Owns Victoria Secret? Owner, CEO & Company History
Let’s pause and let that sink in. Roy Raymond, the founder, sold his baby for pocket change. Wexner, the CEO of The Limited, understood mass appeal. He turned it into the pink, perfume-soaked, mall-dominating monster we know today. Raymond watched from the sidelines.
The Tragic Aftermath (This Part Isn’t Fun)
Here’s where the story gets dark. And I’m sorry, but it’s true. Roy Raymond didn’t get a happy ending. After selling Victoria’s Secret, he tried other business ventures. They all failed. He divorced. He struggled financially.
In 1993, at the age of 47, Roy Raymond jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge. He left a note. He felt like a failure, even though he had invented one of the most recognizable brands on the planet. It’s a gut punch, isn’t it? The creator of such a glamorous, fun world was living in total misery.
Leslie Wexner, on the other hand, became a billionaire. He ran Victoria’s Secret for decades, turning it into a cultural juggernaut. He also made some extremely questionable decisions, but that’s a story for another coffee chat.
Who was Roy Raymond? The triumph and tragedy of Victoria's Secret's founder
So, Who Gets the Crown?
If someone asks you, “Who founded Victoria’s Secret?” You can say: Roy Raymond founded the idea, Leslie Wexner founded the empire. It’s a weird two-headed monster of a legacy. Raymond had the dream; Wexner had the business brain.
And here’s a fun, weird footnote. Wexner was also linked to Jeffrey Epstein. Yes, that Jeffrey Epstein. Wexner was his mentor for years. That’s a whole other level of mess that hangs over the brand’s history. Talk about a complicated corporate family tree.
The Takeaway? It’s Messy.
So, next time you walk past that pink-striped storefront, remember Roy Raymond. He just wanted to buy his wife some cute underwear without feeling gross. He succeeded big time, and then he lost everything. It’s a cautionary tale about success, timing, and how money doesn’t fix your brain.
And Leslie Wexner? He took a niche shop and turned it into a global symbol of sex appeal. He also made it so ubiquitous that your grandma owns a pair of their pajamas. He did that. For better or worse.
Who is the founder? Both of them. Neither of them. Victoria’s Secret is the Frankenstein’s monster of lingerie retail, stitched together by a dreamer and a corporate titan. And that, my friend, is way more interesting than just saying “some guy in the 70s.” Now, pass the creamer.