Hugh Hefner

Hugh Marston Hefner (born April 9, 1926) is an American adult magazine publisher, businessman, and a well-known playboy. Hefner is a native of Chicago, Illinois and a former journalist for Esquire. Hefner is also a World War II veteran. He is best known for being the founder and chief creative officer of Playboy Enterprises. A self-made multi-millionaire, he is now worth over $43 million. Hefner is also a political activist and philanthropist active in several causes and public issues.

Early life

Hugh Hefner was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 9, 1926. He is the first child of Grace Caroline (née Swanson; 1895–1997) and Glenn Lucius Hefner (1896–1976), who both worked as teachers. His parents were from Nebraska. He has a younger brother, Keith (born 1928). Hefner's mother was of Swedish descent, and his father had German and English ancestry. Through his father's line, Hefner has stated that he is a direct descendant of Plymouth governor William Bradford. He has described his family as "conservative, Midwestern, [and] Methodist".

Hefner

Hefner or Heffner may refer to:

People with the surname Hefner

See also

Playboy

Playboy is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. Notable for its centerfolds of nude and semi-nudemodels (Playmates), Playboy played an important role in the sexual revolution and remains one of the world's best-known brands, having grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with a presence in nearly every medium. In addition to the flagship magazine in the United States, special nation-specific versions of Playboy are published worldwide.

The magazine has a long history of publishing short stories by notable novelists such as Arthur C. Clarke,Ian Fleming,Vladimir Nabokov,Saul Bellow, Chuck Palahniuk, P. G. Wodehouse,Haruki Murakami, and Margaret Atwood. With a regular display of full-page color cartoons, it became a showcase for notable cartoonists, including Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Cole,Eldon Dedini,Jules Feiffer,Shel Silverstein, Erich Sokol,Roy Raymonde,Gahan Wilson, and Rowland B. Wilson.Playboy features monthly interviews of notable public figures, such as artists, architects, economists, composers, conductors, film directors, journalists, novelists, playwrights, religious figures, politicians, athletes and race car drivers. The magazine generally reflects a liberal editorial stance, although it often interviews conservative celebrities.

Playboy Mansion

The Playboy Mansion (also known as the Playboy Mansion West) is the home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. In Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, California, nearby Beverly Hills, the mansion became famous during the 1970s through media reports of Hefner's lavish parties.

Owned by Playboy Enterprises, Inc., the mansion is also used for various corporate activities and serves as a valuable location for television production, magazine photography and for online, advertising and sales events. It also hosts various charitable events and civic functions

History

The 21,987-square-foot (2,042.7 m²) house is described as in the "Gothic-Tudor" style by Forbes magazine, and sits on 5.3 acres (2.1 ha). It was designed by Arthur R. Kelly in 1927 for Arthur Letts, Jr., son of the Broadway department store founder Arthur Letts and acquired by Playboy from Louis D. Statham (1908–1983), an engineer, inventor and chess aficionado, in 1971 for $1.1 million. In early 2011, it was valued at $54 million. It sits close to the northwestern corner of the Los Angeles Country Club, near University of California, Los Angeles and the Bel-Air Country Club. $15 million has been invested in renovation and expansion.

Hugh

For the history and etymology of the name Hugh, see Hugh (given name). Hugh may also refer to:

Noblemen and clergy

Cypriot/Frankish/French