Hugh Hefner

Background

Even in death, Hugh Hefner remains a well-recognized name in Hollywood. His style, charisma, and devilishly good looks won the hearts of millions worldwide. He gave America its most-celebrated explicit magazine, which created milestones in the lives of citizens. Hefner was born on April 9, 1926, in Chicago. He was the first child of his parents, Glenn and Grace Swanson. Hefner grew up in a conservative, midwestern and methodist household. He was an Aries and of Swedish, German and English descent. Hefner’s parents wanted him to do missionary work, but he became a U.S. Army writer when he turned 18. In 1949, he graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.A. in Psychology. He also double-minored in Creative Writing and Art.

Hefner got a copywriter job at “Esquire” but quit in 1952. In 1953, he took out a loan to launch “Playboy.” By December, the first issue featuring superstar actress Marilyn Monroe was released. Playboy’s first issue sold over 50,000 copies. Hefner’s magazine promoted a ‘bon vivant’ lifestyle. He hosted the television shows; “Playboy’s Penthouse” in 1959 and “Playboy After Dark” in 1969. Hefner made several appearances on TV shows including “The Simpsons” (1993), “Sex and the City” (2000), “Family Guy” (2007), and many more.

Hefner lived a full and rewarding life. He made millions off “Playboy” and was generous enough to donate to great causes. He died of sepsis from an E.coli infection on September 27, 2017, at the Playboy Mansion. Hefner had multiple lovers and was married thrice. Some of his lovers were featured on his show, “The Girls Next Door,” from 2005 to 2009. He had four children who succeeded him in his franchise.