On Pins and Needles With Leslie Wexner
| Author | Julie Baumgold |
|---|---|
| Published | August 5, 1985 |
| Format | Article |
TL;DR — A 1985 New York magazine profile of The Limited’s founder Leslie Wexner, built around the restless ‘dybbuk’ he said drove him.
A profile from New York magazine’s issue of 5 August 1985, by Julie Baumgold, headed “The Bachelor.” It follows Leslie Wexner, founder of The Limited, on the day of his company’s annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio, when he was newly a billionaire.
The piece is organised around Wexner’s own image of a dybbuk — a restless spirit that gives him what he calls shpilkes — and portrays him as driven and perpetually worried. It covers the growth of The Limited and its chains (Lane Bryant, Limited Express, Victoria’s Secret and others), his homes and habits, his family, and his life as a bachelor. Photographs are by Harry Benson.
This copy is an Internet Archive scan of the magazine pages.
What it is: Magazine journalism — a period feature profile, in copyright.
Where this came from
- A copy saved in October 2026.
12 pages. A PDF copy is held in Kyle’s private archive; it is not linked or shared here.