Hugh Hefner, the media mogul and founder of the iconic magazine Playboy magazine, died Wednesday at the age of 91.
Hefner was a free speech and civil rights advocate who created a staple of the sexual revolution with Playboy, which he launched in 1953 with the help of a $1,000 investment from his mother.
He died at the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hill, California, of natural causes.
In a statement, Cooper Hefner, Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises, praised his father's life and career.
“My father lived an exceptional and impactful life as a media and cultural pioneer and a leading voice behind some of the most significant social and cultural movements of our time in advocating free speech, civil rights, and sexual freedom," Cooper Hefner said. "He defined a lifestyle and ethos that lie at the heart of the Playboy brand, one of the most recognizable and enduring in history. He will be greatly missed by many, including his wife Crystal, my sister Christie, and my brothers David and Marston, and all of us at Playboy Enterprises."
