Les Wexner, the billionaire who built New Albany from farmland into a wealthy suburb, is no longer Ohio's richest person.
Forbes' 2026 list of the 400 richest Americans, released Tuesday, Sept. 15, ranks Youngstown's Denise York and her family at No. 158 nationally with an estimated $10 billion fortune. Wexner and his family dropped to No. 170 with $9.3 billion, according to NBC4. It is the first time in at least five years that Wexner has not held Ohio's top spot.
Wexner's wealth held flat from 2025, when he ranked No. 137 nationally at the same $9.3 billion. York nearly doubled her estimated fortune since 2023, when Forbes valued her family at $5.1 billion and Wexner still held Ohio's top spot, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
York, 75, is co-chair of the San Francisco 49ers and her family owns more than 90% of the NFL franchise. Her father, Edward DeBartolo Sr., bought the team for $13 million in 1977. Forbes now values it above $8 billion.
A Wexner spokesperson declined comment on the ranking, NBC4 reported.
Wexner's New Albany legacy
Few Ohioans have left a deeper mark on a single community. Wexner, 89, and developer Jack Kessler formed the New Albany Company in 1986 and began buying farmland east of Columbus. New Albany's population was about 1,600 in 1990.
"The old saying that New Albany used to be a one-stop-sign town and then a billionaire moved to town and everything changed; that is kind of true, right?" Mayor Sloan Spalding said in a 2022 NBC4 interview.
The New Albany International Business Park now spans more than 9,000 acres with 43 million square feet of commercial space, 27,000 employees and $54 billion in private investment, according to the park's 2025 annual report.
Wexner founded The Limited in 1963 and grew a retail empire that included Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Abercrombie & Fitch and Express. He bought Victoria's Secret for $1 million in 1982 when it was a five-store San Francisco chain.
He stepped down as chairman and CEO of L Brands in 2020 and sold a majority stake in Victoria's Secret that year for $525 million. His net worth dropped to $4 billion that year, according to Forbes.
Recent transitions
Wexner stepped down as chair of the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center Board on Aug. 20 and now serves as chair emeritus. Robert Schottenstein replaced him.
Two other Ohioans joined Wexner and York on the Forbes 400: Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown ranked No. 224 at $7.6 billion, and Medpace CEO August Troendle of Cincinnati ranked No. 396 at $4.5 billion. Troendle was not on last year's list.
Forbes said its estimates reflect a snapshot of wealth as of Sept. 4.
