Contrary to popular belief, the Victoria’s Secret original retail store wasn’t founded by a woman named Victoria. One of the world’s most famous lingerie brands was founded by a man named Roy Raymond in 1977. Roy was a Stanford MBA and he opened his first store in the Stanford shopping mall, Palo Alto, CA. Roy started Victoria’s Secret after he felt embarrassed trying to purchase lingerie for his wife. He also felt uncomfortable shopping for lingerie. Victoria’s Secret made it fun and enticing. It was named after the Victorian era.
Five years later, Roy sold the company to Leslie Wexner and by the early ‘90s, it became the most prominent American lingerie retailer. Some say that Roy Raymond sold his company for much less than it was worth. He then watched as Leslie Wexer (CEO of the Limited Clothing chain at the time), grew the business into one of the largest American retailers of lingerie.
What happened to Roy Raymond after that is a sad story. On August 26, 1993, he committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. He was last seen walking toward the bridge before his body washed up on the shore. He died at just 47 years old.
We’ll never really know what he was thinking. Aside from business, he had family issues. Sometimes you might look at someone from the outside and think they have everything. All of us go through ups and downs in life. Victoria’s Secret has gone through hard times in recent years. Leslie Wexner, who bought Victoria’s Secret, was allegedly involved with Jeffrey Epstein. You may think your life is over but there might be something new around the corner that changes your life around. Life can also be amazing and then challenges can appear.
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