Hugh Hefner didn't come from money. He was a self-made millionaire.
He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign with a B.A. in psychology and a double minor in creative writing. Post-graduation, he worked at Esquire magazine as a copywriter. When he asked for a raise and was denied, he quit, took out a few loans, and launched his own gentleman's magazine: Playboy.
The first issue was published in December 1953 and it was an instant success. It sold over 50,000 copies. What was so great about it? A nude Marilyn Monroe took the cover and centerfold. This content was framed as sexually liberating at the time.
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Its success inspired Hugh to expand Playboy. In 1959, he hosted Playboy’s Penthouse, a variety show that ran in syndication until March 1961. He also founded Playboy Enterprises, which owned a chain of nightclubs and resorts known as the Playboy Club. A writer from the get-go, he penned his own book in 1963 titled The Playboy Philosophy.
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Furthermore, apparel and various sexual wellness products, gaming products, and lifestyle products were all developed and sold for profit under the Playboy label.
However, he also brought in cash just by banking on his fame and larger-the-life persona. He voiced and starred in several productions outside of the Playboy mansion, like The Simpsons and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Hugh was always young at heart. Even in his 80s, he continued living the high life when he created and starred in The Girls Next Door. The E! reality series ran for six seasons starting in 2005, and followed the lives of Hugh and his girlfriends who lived with him at the Playboy Mansion. However, as Secrets of Playboy reveals, their lives were far from glamorous.
Secrets of Playboy airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on A&E.
