The Fabulous Life of Playboy Magazine Founder Hugh M. Hefner
"Life is too short to be living somebody else's dream," were the famous words echoed by cultural icon Hugh Hefner, who passed away in Los Angeles on Wednesday night at the golden age of 91.
They say sex sells, and perhaps no person in history grasped that concept better than Hugh Marston Hefner. "The major civilizing force in the world is not religion, it is sex," Hefner famously said.
The media mogul and founder of the Playboy empire known around the world was a pioneer in ways that stretched far beyond his famous magazine.
Hefner was a leading civil rights figure and championed equality across gender and sexualities. His foundation promotes individual rights and supports organizations that advance and defend civil rights and civil liberties, particularly those dealing with First Amendment and rational sex and drug policies.
Throughout his life, Hefner dared to dream big, as epitomized by using an $8,000 loan in 1953 and spinning it into one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
Here is a look back at the man who contended that in his "wildest dreams" he could not have envisioned a "sweeter life."
Hefner was a legend, here's why.
In 1953 Hugh turned $8,000 from 45 investors, including $1,000 from his mother, into Playboy magazine.
Dawned by the beautiful Marilyn Monroe, the first copy of Playboy hit the shelves in 1953 and sold 54,175 copies. The edition would set the standard for future "Bunnies," Playboy's iconic logo and a waitress at a Playboy Club.
Hefner will be buried next to Marilyn Monroe in Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
In 1956, Playboy had launched itself into American culture and surpassed Esquire, selling a whopping 700,000 copies per month.
What would go onto become an annual event sponsored by Playboy was started in 1959 in Chicago Stadium to celebrate Playboy selling over a million copies every month. The original festival was called the "greatest single weekend in the history of jazz."
Started in 1964, the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation pioneered civil rights. The principal mission of the foundation is to support organizations that advance and defend civil rights and civil liberties with a particular emphasis on those running initiatives related to First Amendment rights and rational sex and drug policies.
When he first asked her out, Barbi famously said: "I don't know, I've never dated anyone over 24 before." To which Hefner responded, "That's all right, neither have I."
Barbi Benton and Hefner dated for several years, and she became instrumental in establishing the Playboy enterprise. Benton lived with Hefner from 1969 until 1976 and is known for discovering the Playboy Mansion.
Designed in 1927, Playboy acquired the luxurious mansion in 1971 for $1.1 million. The 21,987 sq ft estate on 5.3 acres is located in the Holmby Hills section Los Angeles and is known for Hefner's lavish parties.
In 2016, Playboy put the mansion up for sale for an asking price of $200 million, and the condition that Hefner be permitted to live out the rest of his life at the estate.
In August 2016, the co-owner of Hostess Brands Daren Metropoulos reached an agreement to buy the Playboy Mansion for $100 million.
In 1970 Playboy officially established itself as a cultural icon, becoming the most influential men's magazine worldwide. It boasted a circulation of 7 million every month. Just two years later, Playboy earned a $12 million profit for the year.
Launched in 2003, 'The Girls Next Door' aired in over 150 countries around the world and starred Playboy icons Kendra Wilkinson, Holly Madison, and Bridget Marquardt.
In 2011, Hefner wrote a passionate plea in support of gay marriage, saying that the fight for gay marriage was a "a fight for all our rights."
In 2016, Hefner gave his son, Cooper, creative control of Playboy while remaining editor in chief. After the decision, Cooper published the first non-nude issue of the magazine ever. But, amid slumping sales, the decision was reversed.
Hefner would live out his remaining days in Los Angeles at the Mansion.