Hugh Hefner: The Original Lad Who Lived Every Bloke’s Dream

Hugh Hefner wasn’t just a man—he was a walking, talking cheat code for life. The bloke took everything we love—birds, booze, banter, and the good life—and turned it into an empire. The Playboy founder wasn’t just about selling magazines; he built an entire lifestyle around the idea that men should have fun, look sharp, and never take life too seriously. And let’s be honest—he did it better than anyone else ever has.

From Boring Bloke to Big-Time Boss

Before the silk robes and the mansion parties, Hef was just another regular lad stuck in a dead-end job. He grew up in a strict household—his parents were the type who thought smiling was a bit much—and by his early 20s, he was working a dull office job, probably wondering if this was it. But rather than settling for a life of reading newspapers and discussing mortgage rates, he decided to shake things up.

In 1953, with only eight grand to his name (some of it borrowed off his mum, which is legendary in itself), he launched Playboy. And just to make sure it didn’t flop, he stuck Marilyn Monroe on the cover. That’s right—issue number one came out swinging with the most famous woman in the world at the time. Absolute power move. It sold over 50,000 copies, and just like that, Playboy was born.

The Playboy Empire Takes Over

By the 1970s, Hef had gone full boss mode. Playboy wasn’t just a magazine—it was a cultural phenomenon. Every month, millions of lads rushed to buy the mag, and it wasn’t just for the centrefolds (though, let’s be honest, they didn’t hurt). Playboy had some of the best interviews ever printed—Muhammad Ali, Steve Jobs, David Bowie, and even the likes of Fidel Castro and John Lennon all sat down to chat. The magazine was selling seven million copies a month, and Hef was raking in cash faster than a dodgy bookie on Derby Day.

And then, of course, there was the Playboy Mansion. This wasn’t just a house—it was THE house. Imagine a place where the party never stopped, where every celebrity, rockstar, and jammy git with a good excuse somehow managed to blag an invite. There were pools, grottoes, rooms you’d only dream about, and, of course, Hef himself, strolling around in a dressing gown like he was in his own personal kingdom.

And the best part? He did this for DECADES.

The Playboy Lifestyle: More Than Just Mags

Hef wasn’t just about magazines—he built an entire world around the Playboy brand. The Playboy Clubs? Absolute class. The logo? One of the most recognisable symbols in the world. Playboy-branded everything? You name it, they sold it—cigarettes, cologne, casinos, clothing, even jet airlines.

And Hef? The man lived the dream 24/7. While the rest of us are stressing over rent and whether we’ve left the oven on, he spent his days hosting the wildest parties in history, smoking cigars, and being permanently surrounded by absolute 10s. Not a bad life.

The Fall of the King

But like all great empires, Playboy had its downfall. The internet changed the game, and suddenly, lads didn’t need a magazine to see glamorous women anymore. Sales started dropping harder than your mate after one too many Jägerbombs, and advertisers started pulling out.

Then came the biggest mistake in Playboy history—in 2016, they decided to remove nudity from the magazine. Yep. The people in charge of Playboy thought, "You know what would really help this magazine? Taking away the one thing it’s famous for!" Absolute madness. The plan flopped harder than a Sunday League dive, and within two years, Playboy gave up and shut down its print magazine.

Hef himself passed away in 2017 at the age of 91, after living a life that most blokes could only dream of. No one’s ever done it like him before, and let’s be honest—no one ever will again.

Hef’s Legacy: Could Playboy Make a Comeback?

Here’s the thing—Playboy might be "gone," but its legacy is still massive. The bunny logo? Still one of the coolest symbols out there. The old-school magazines? Still flying off shelves (in fact, lads' mags have been banned from places like eBay and Amazon, which is why we had to build our own website just to sell them!).

Could Playboy make a comeback? Maybe not in the same way, but lads' culture isn’t dead—it’s just waiting for the next big thing. If someone finds a way to bring back that Playboy energy—proper lad content, mad interviews, and that carefree, fun-loving attitude—you just know the lads will be queuing up for it.

Until then, we’ll raise a glass (or a whiskey, if we’re doing it Hef-style) to the ultimate lad, the king of the good life, and the man who made dressing gowns look cool.

Rest in peace, Hef. You absolute legend.