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Hugh Marston Hefner (born April 9, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois), also referred to colloquially as "Hef", is the founder and editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine. He has become an icon of American sexuality and a charismatic spokesman for the sexual revolution and of libertarianism.

Branching out

At its peak, Playboy sold more than 1,200,000 issues each month. Hefner's concept exploded as a variety of different avenues opened up. A late-night television program, "Playboy's Penthouse," premiered; conversation among urbane guests its main selling point. In addition, the show featured prominent African-American performers. These singers and musicians, as well as comedians such as Lenny Bruce and Dick Gregory made the show a unique viewing experience.

The first Playboy Jazz Festival took place in the state of Rhode Island in 1959 and has become a staple for the most prominent musicians in the field.

In 1960, Hugh Hefner opened up the first Playboy Club in Chicago, which featured women in bunny costumes serving drinks to customers who listened to many of the same guests that populated Hefner's television show. In less than two years, the number of clubs had expanded to 12, with over 125,000 patrons paying either $25 for a charter membership or $50 for a lifetime membership. During the 1980s, the Clubs folded and Playboy lost its casino licenses in Atlantic City and the UK. Hefner suffered a stroke in 1985. Three years later, he passed control of Playboy's business operations to his daughter Christie.

Private Life

Before their wedding, Mildred told Hefner that she had had an affair; he has called the admission "the most devastating moment of my life." A 2006 E! THS profile of Hefner revealed she let him cheat on her, both in the hopes it would preserve their marriage and out of guilt for her infidelity.

After his first marriage, Hefner became the world's most famous and envied womanizer. He has said that during some years, he was "'involved' with maybe eleven out of twelve months worth of Playmates."[1] Hefner has had sustained relationships with Donna Michelle, Marilyn Cole, Lillian Muller, Patti McGuire, Terri Welles, Shannon Tweed, and Brande Roderick, all of whom were chosen "Playmate of the Year". Other noteworthy attachments include Barbi Benton, Karen Christy, ex-Sunday school teacher Sondra Theodore, and actress Carrie Leigh, who filed a $35 million palimony suit against him. Benton remains a fixture in Hefner's life and a regular visitor to the Playboy Mansion, which she found for him.

On July 1, 1989, he ended his 35-year bachelor party and married Kimberley Conrad, that year's Playmate of the Year. They separated in 1998, though have yet to divorce. They had two children: Marston Glenn, born on Hefner's 64th birthday, and Cooper Bradford, born on September 4, 1991. While Hefner was monogamous, the THS profile suggested that Conrad was not.

After his separation from Conrad, Hefner began living with an ever-changing number of women, ranging in age from 18 to 28. He told Vanity Fair: "And here's the surprise bit—it's what they want!" Soon, Hef assembled another coterie of girlfriends: Sandy, Mandy, Jessica, and Brande Roderick who had the distinction of being the primary girlfriend. But in 2000 she left to take a role in popular series Baywatch. Hefner soon selected 27-year-old Tina Marie Jordan as his primary girlfriend. This might not have gone over so well with the other three as they left shortly thereafter. But Hefner quickly selected more young blondes for a posse of seven girlfriends, one of whom was Holly Madison who joined in 2001. In 2002 Tina had other interests to pursue and asked Holly to succeed her as primary, which she gladly did. Shortly after Playboy's 50th anniversary five of the girlfriends left, leaving Holly and Bridget Marquardt to tend to Hefner. But in 2004 Kendra Wilkinson (also blonde, aged 18) was asked to move into the Mansion to become girlfriend number 3. The 2005-06 E! reality television series The Girls Next Door follows these three girlfriends, Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson in their life with Hef around the Mansion and on travel.

The Political/Social Warrior

Hefner has always espoused a shared liberal/libertarian stance in his editorials and in his life. On June 4, 1963, Hefner was arrested for selling obscene literature after an issue of Playboy featuring nude shots of actress Jayne Mansfield was released. Six months later, a jury was unable to reach a verdict.

The Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Awards were created by daughter Christie in 1979 "to honor individuals who have made significant contributions in the vital effort to protect and enhance First Amendment rights for Americans."

Hefner and his family have donated and raised great amounts of money for the Democratic Party.

Trivia

• Every Sunday, Friday, and Monday night at the Playboy Mansion Hefner hosts a movie night. He has an elaborate collection of films atop the spiraling staircase of his bedroom.
• "The stuff that dreams are made of", a favorite quote Hefner often uses to refer to the success of Playboy, comes from Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon; both are misquotations from Act IV, Scene I of Shakespeare's The Tempest ("We are such stuff as dreams are made on").
• In a 2005 interview with Time magazine, Hefner said he is a direct descendant of William Bradford, a Pilgrim who came over on the ship Mayflower.
• It has been reported that Hefner has either a room or floor to himself in the Drake Hotel.
• In a TV documentary, Hefner stated that he was a virgin when he went into the Army and a virgin when he got out. He lost his virginity at age 22.
• Hefner purchased the crypt in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, California, beside Marilyn Monroe.
• Hefner has appeared in The Simpsons in the episode Krusty Gets Kancelled, which also included other guest stars such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
• Has a species of rabbit named in his honor (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri).
• Hefner is noted for smoking a tobacco pipe. His pipes of choice are Dunhill.
• His first professional movie was Roman Polański's film adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth, where he served as the executive producer.

Books

• Miller, Russell (1985). Bunny: The Real Story of Playboy. London: Corgi. ISBN 0-03-063748-1.

External links

• Profile of Hefner from Playboy Enterprises corporate site (page does not contain nudity)
• Hugh Hefner: The Ultimate Lifestyle Entrepreneur (About.com Entrepreneurs)
• "Brilliant Careers: Hugh Hefner" (Salon.com, December 28, 1999)
• "Hugh Hefner: He swings. He misses." (Slate, July 21, 2000)

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