Hugh Hefner dead at 91: Legendary Playboy founder passes away from natural causes

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner has passed away aged
91.
The publishing legend, who helped usher in the 1960s
sexual revolution with his groundbreaking men's
magazine and built a business empire around his
libertine lifestyle, died at his famous Los Angeles
home on Wednesday surrounded by his loved ones.
“Hugh M. Hefner, the American icon who in 1953
introduced the world to Playboy magazine and built
the company into one of the most recognisable
American global brands in history, peacefully passed
away today from natural causes at his home, The
Playboy Mansion, surrounded by loved ones,” Playboy
Enterprises said in a statement.
While a tweet shared on the official Twitter account
paid tribute to an "American icon".
Quoting Hefner, it said alongside a picture of him
grinning: "Life is too short to be living somebody
else's dream."
After starting the status quo-shattering Playboy
magazine in 1953, Hefner went on to launch TV and
film companies, finance documentaries and preside
over the Hollywood social scene from his Jacuzzi at
the mansion, a frequent location for industry events.
The mansion was sold in 2016 for $100 million to his
private equity investor neighbour, but the terms of the
sale specified that he was allowed to live there until
his death.
He was married three times and claimed to have slept
with more than 1,000 women.
He is survived by his 31-year-old wife Crystal, four
children, Christie, who served as CEO of Playboy
Enterprise for more than 20 years, David, Marston and
Cooper, who currently serves as Chief Creative Officer
at the company.
Before marrying Crystal in 2012, he wed high school
sweetheart Mildred Williams and later married former
Playmate of the Year Kimberly Conrad in 1989.
Son Cooper led the tributes to the late icon,
describing him as a "cultural pioneer".
“My father lived an exceptional and impactful life as a
media and cultural pioneer and a leading voice behind
some of the most significant social and cultural
movements of our time in advocating free speech,
civil rights and sexual freedom,” he said.
“He defined a lifestyle and ethos that lie at the heart
of the Playboy brand, one of the most recognizable
and enduring in history.
"He will be greatly missed by many, including his wife
Crystal, my sister Christie and my brothers David and
Marston, and all of us at Playboy Enterprises.”
Hefner previously said his swinging lifestyle might
have been a reaction to growing up in a repressed
family where affection was rarely exhibited.

Tweet