Endowment / Foundation

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Legacy Heritage Fund

Legacy Heritage Fund was established in 1997 as a private, independent grantmaking foundation in New York. Susan Wexner, its president and director, directs...

Legacy Heritage Fund logo

Legacy Heritage Fund

Legacy Heritage Fund was established in 1997 as a private, independent grantmaking foundation in New York. Susan Wexner, its president and director, directs the philanthropic vehicle connected to the fortune accumulated by her brother, Les Wexner, who founded the retail giant L Brands. The foundation is structured to channel capital primarily toward Jewish and Israeli causes, maintaining a separate portfolio of for-profit venture investments alongside its charitable disbursements. The foundation combines classic grantmaking with a venture investment sleeve that spans stages from seed to late-stage growth and secondaries. Its philanthropic capital frequently flows alongside co-donors Alice and Nahum Lainer to Jewish and Israeli causes. On the for-profit side, the investment strategy is recorded as covering general venture and expansion capital, though Altss research does not identify specific portfolio company names in the current record. The geographic focus concentrates squarely on the United States and Israel, where it also holds a physical asset — the Wexner Building for Dental Medicine in Jerusalem. Altss research estimates the foundation's total assets at roughly $19 million, with an undisclosed headcount operating from its New York headquarters. Beyond the fund, Susan Wexner is closely associated with the philanthropic circles of the Mega Group, a professional network to which her brother Les belongs. No record of recent investment hires or operational shifts in the last 24 months is available. A genuine structural differentiator is the foundation's architecture: it operates as a 501(c)(3) grantmaker with a concurrent, direct venture portfolio, rather than managing a standard endowment solely invested in external funds. This dual-track model — blending charitable disbursements for dental medicine and education in Israel with venture-stage investing — separates Legacy Heritage Fund from a conventional family foundation that outsources all capital to third-party managers.

General information

Firm type

Endowment / Foundation

Year founded

1997

Location

Region

North America

Country

United States

City

New York

Corporate office

New York, NY, United States

Principals

Susan Wexner

President and Director

Yossi Prager

Executive Director

Sector focus

Philanthropy & GrantmakingVenture (General)Education

Frequently asked questions

Who runs investment decisions at Legacy Heritage Fund?

The fund's president and director, Susan Wexner, oversees its strategic direction. Yossi Prager serves as Executive Director of Legacy Heritage Fund Limited, handling operational management. Specific investment committee members or external managers for the venture portfolio are not publicly disclosed.

Where does the underlying wealth come from?

The capital originates from the retail fortune built by Les Wexner, Susan Wexner's brother, who founded L Brands — the parent company of Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works. Susan Wexner directs the philanthropic and investment vehicle associated with that wealth.

How is Legacy Heritage Fund related to other Wexner philanthropies?

Susan Wexner operates Legacy Heritage Fund as a distinct 501(c)(3) entity. Altss research also records connected foundations including Ahba Inc, Bella and Harry Wexner Philanthropies, and Pbhp Inc, which form a wider network of Wexner family giving vehicles with overlapping leadership.

Does Legacy Heritage Fund participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

The fund's recorded strategy covers direct venture capital across early-stage, late-stage, and secondaries. Altss research does not document any fund-of-funds commitments. The investment activity appears to be direct, sitting alongside a core philanthropic grantmaking program.

What is Legacy Heritage Fund's known posture on co-investments alongside external partners?

On the philanthropic side, Susan Wexner and Legacy Heritage Fund frequently collaborate with Alice and Nahum Lainer as co-donors. Co-investor relationships on the venture portfolio are not publicly identified in available records.

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