Hugh Hefner, the creator of Playboy Magazine, died on Wednesday night in his California mansion. He was 91 years old and died peacefully at his home from natural causes.
Hefner, known as the “Heff”, built Playboy into a brand that heavily influenced the sexual culture of the second half of the 20th century.
Hefner was born on April 9, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois, and went on to become a millionaire after founding the influential men’s magazine in 1953.
Hefner leaves behind a complicated legacy. He was an advocate for civil rights for people of color and the LGBTQ community, and he fought for reproductive rights for women — but he also built a brand on the objectification of women’s bodies.
