JOHANNESBURG - As the world mourns the passing of Playboy founder, Hugh Hefner, we take a look at some of his major achievements throughout his colourful and eccentric life, focusing on the great business mind and how his empire came to be.
FACT SHEET
1. The first issue of Playboy dates back to 1953, featuring an image of a naked Marilyn Monroe. The magazine was highly controversial at the time but it also found a large readership in a short space of time.
2. Hefner was known to be involved in the production of his magazine from the early years, working 40 hour shifts without a break, putting the product together.
3. Esquire magazine had named him the ‘most famous magazine editor in the history of the world’ before his 50th birthday.
4. The Playboy Enterprise grew into something much larger than just the magazine, with the brand name involved in TV shows, music festivals, book publishing and a chain of ‘Playboy Clubs’ internationally, made famous by waitresses wearing a bunny uniforms.
5. The magazine hit a circulation of about 7 million during the early 1970s and at the time, Hefner’s personal wealth was estimated to be more than $200m. In 2009, during divorce proceedings, Hefner valued his personal wealth at $43m.
6. In 1988, Hefner stepped down as Playboy’s Chief Executive, to be replaced by his daughter, Christie Hefner.
7. Christie Hefner resigned as chief executive in 2009 amid financial struggles for Playboy Enterprises. Hefner led an effort to buy back the company's stock, making it a privately held corporation by 2011.
8. Hugh Hefner held the title of Editor in chief until he passed away and was known to edit the magazine well into his 80s.