The silk-robed lothario, Hugh Hefner, not only made an indelible mark on popular culture but forever changed the way that pornography is consumed in the mainstream media. As famous for his larger-than-life lifestyle as his legendary men's magazine, Hefner found himself engulfed in an air of mystery and urban legend that not even a myriad of interviews and his own E! reality television show could shake. Playing a pivotal role in the sexual revolution of the 60's, Hefner launched Playboy magazine in 1953 with only $600. The men's magazine eventually turned into a multimillion-dollar business venture which grew to include television shows and a chain of Playboy Clubs which featured cocktail waitresses adorned in the brand's synonymous cottontails and bunny ears.

Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy and iconic glamorous bachelor, passed away this week. At the grand age of 91, his family have announced that he died peacefully in his home in Los Angeles. The entrepreneur has been said to have passed away due to natural causes.

A statement from Playboy Enterprises read:

"Hugh M. Hefner, the American icon who in 1953 introduced the world to Playboy magazine and built the company into one of the most recognisable American global brands in history, peacefully passed away today from natural causes at his home, The Playboy Mansion, surrounded by loved ones. He was 91 years old."

Born in Chicago in 1926, Hefner served in the US Army in the 40's, before he left to become a copywriter for mens magazine Esquire. Borrowing some money to start up his own magazine catering to a different kind of audience, he started Playboy in 1953. The very first cover featured none other than Marilyn Monroe, likely the most iconic star of Hollywood.

Within a few weeks they had sold 50,000 copies, and within a few years they would have several million subscribers, evolving the project into more than a magazine – with the iconic brand eventually including nightclubs, clothing, and television. Many attribute the immediate success of the enterprise to Monroe's appearance on the front cover, as well as a nude photo of her that Hefner included in the magazine.

Hefner must have been grateful and aware of the great impact the actress had on his life, as it was her plot that he will be buried next to following his death. Monroe is buried at the Westwood Memorial Park in LA, and in 1992, Hefner reserved the spot alongside her, paying $75,000 for the privilege.

His son, Cooper Hefner, is currently the chief creative officer of Playboy Enterprises. Speaking of his father following the death, he spoke highly of the man, saying he will be "greatly missed" by his family, friends and fans across the globe:

"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.

"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."

Many tributes have flooded in from those that have known him over the years, including Kim Kardashian, who said in a tweet that she was "so honored to have been a part of the Playboy team". The public were never in agreement over whether his work was respectable or immoral, but even with his choice of burial, it looks as if he stayed true to his unique lifestyle to the bitter end.

After 91 long years on this planet, Hugh Hefner certainly made his mark. He was celebrated as a sexual revolutionary, criticised as a misogynist, and will almost certainly be remembered as an American icon. Regardless of how we feel about Hef, however, we can't deny that he had a good run. So what was it that eventually put an end to his extravagant and (some may say) decadent life? Well, despite already being well into his 80s, Hefner's health only began to decline significantly a couple of years ago, after he contracted an infection which caused "a crippling back condition". According to his family, the Playboy founder had suffered from back problems prior to that, but his physical state deteriorated rapidly only after the infection, which made him bedridden. From that point, he was unable to walk unassisted, yet he still attended public events and posed for photographs with "Playmates". That's hardly surprising, though, as he was always a "youthful" man at heart. According to TMZ, however, Hef was eventually called up to the great Playboy Mansion in the sky after suffering from a bug he caught two weeks ago. The website also reports that the 91-year-old was surrounded by loved ones at the time, including three of his children - two of his sons, and his only daughter - as well as his second wife, Kimberly Conrad. Hugh's oldest son, David, who is twice the age of Hef's third wife, Crystal Harris, was not present at the time, but appeared at a meal with his siblings on Thursday night. Harris was apparently not invited to the dinner, and it's not yet clear whether she was at her husband's side at his time of death. In a statement on his father, Cooper Hefner said: "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. 

"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.'"

Hefner is due to be buried in the West Memorial Park in Los Angeles, something he'd planned since 1992, when he bought the plot next to Marilyn Monroe for a whopping $75,000. This might seem a little odd to some, as Monroe's pictures were used without consent in order to launch the first ever issue of Playboy, but it was Hefner's wish ever since he bought the plot of land. Another strange bit of news that has been disclosed in the wake of Hefner's death is that Crystal Harris is not set to inherit anything from his estate, as she signed a prenup before their marriage, and was never added to his will. She has also yet to comment publicly on her husband's passing. That's obviously because they got married for love, not money,  right?

The silver-haired Casanova, Hugh Hefner, lived every adolescent boy's fantasy... right up to the grand ol' age of 91. Hefner, who died yesterday from natural causes, was known for creating one of the most recognizable American brands in Playboy. The iconic men's magazine, which was founded in 1953 on just $600, quickly grew to be a multi-million dollar business, that even included television shows and a slew of nightclubs in its heyday in the 70's. And in honour of the man and legend, here are 15 little-known facts about the iconic figure who not only helped spur the great sexual revolution of the 60's but forever changed the face of sexual expression.

1. Hugh Hefner has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Illinois 

The renowned publisher also minored in creative writing and art, graduating in 1949.

2. He reportedly had an IQ of 152 when he was in high school 

This effectively made him somewhat of a child prodigy.

3. Hefner served in the army during WWII

He enlisted as an infantry clerk in 1944, and spent his downtime drawing cartoons for the Army newspaper...

4. In fact, he had quite a knack for cartoons. During his high school career, Hefner created a comic-book autobiography which he called School Daze 

And in university, his cartoons were published in his college newspaper, The Daily Illini.

5. Hugh Hefner met his first wife in college

He married Mildred Williams in 1949, eventually divorcing in 1959. They had two children, Christie Hefner and David Hefner. He subsequently married twice - to Kimberly Conrad in 1989 and Crystal Harris in 2012

6. He used to work for Esquire as a copywriter in 1951

But quit after he was denied a $5 raise. Hefner quickly went on to found the little-known Playboy magazine. Who knows what happened to that magazine?

7. Playboy was created in his South Side Chicago apartment 

As he told the Chicago Tribune in 1994: "the entire staff was my card table, my typewriter and me."

8. Hefner was arrested in 1963 for "publishing and distributing an obscene magazine" 

The case was eventually deemed a mistrial, after the jury could not reach a conclusive decision.

9. He was an avid Pepsi drinker 

According to the New York Times, in the early days of Playboy magazine, Hefner burned the midnight oil with the help of Pepsi and amphetamines. Later in life, he switched to caffeine-free diet Pepsi.

10. The Lower Keys marsh rabbit was named after Hugh Hefner in 1984 

The rabbit is also known as the Sylvilagus palustris hefneri.

11. His oldest daughter, Christie Hefner, ran Playboy for 20 years 

In 1988, Hefner announced that his first-born child, Christie would be taking over as CEO and Chairman of Playboy Enterprises Inc. She held the role until 2008.

12. Hefner's not only related to former Secretary of State John Kerry, but also President George W. Bush 

Hefner is allegedly the ninth cousin, once-removed from Kerry and the ninth cousin, twice-removed from Bush.

13. He holds two Guinness World Records 

One is for having the longest career as an editor-in-chief of the same magazine, and the second, bizarrely, is for having the largest collection of personal scrapbooks.

14. Contrary to popular belief, Hugh Hefner has absolutely no idea how many women he's slept with 

In an interview with Esquire in 2013 he said: "how could I possibly know? Over a thousand, I'm sure."

15. Hugh Hefner will allegedly be put to rest alongside Marilyn Monroe 

This holds symbolic significance, as Monroe was the first covergirl to appear on Playboy magazine.

Well, Hugh Hefner certainly lived quite the life. Whether he was cavorting with models who were a a quarter of his age or completely revolutionising the way that female sexuality was consumed in the American mass media, you can't say that he didn't have a good time whilst doing it. In related news, Hugh Hefner's final tweets showed a side to him that nobody knew about...

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner yesterday died peacefully in his Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills at age 91. The tributes are flowing, and many people have been given a new impression of how much good the porn mogul actually did. As well as making pornography a mass commodity with Playboy magazine, he also advocated for gay rights way back in the 1950s. He was also known as a strong supporter of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. And even in the last tweets before his death, he was doing his bit by raising awareness and pledging support for Hurricanes Irma and Harvey relief efforts. So following the news of his death, people have been remembering him for his humanitarian efforts. But undeniably, his empire and his legacy was built on pornography. And that can't be removed from his memory. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/9GAG/status/913271679509508097]] Although many people of varying levels of celebrity are applauding his charitable nature, many are still condemning Hefner for his impact on the objectification of women's bodies, as well as his excessive lifestyle. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/BookishFeminist/status/913303686239145984]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/BookishFeminist/status/913305846117011456]] People are criticising glowing labels of Hefner, some of which have touted him him the "godfather of sexual revolution". Historian and author Alex von Tunzelmann pointed out that a "sexual revolution" would be more about "readily available reliable contraception than porn". She released a series of tweets talking about exactly why Hugh Hefner was "anti-revolutionary" and a setback for feminism: [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/alexvtunzelmann/status/913316363808145408]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/alexvtunzelmann/status/913317106875236353]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/alexvtunzelmann/status/913316620751314944]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/alexvtunzelmann/status/913358585035403264]] Given the nature of his success and Playboy empire, Hefner has never avoided criticism from feminists. A notable moment was when he caused a stir in his 2011 documentary titled Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel, Hef by saying: "Women are sex objects. If women weren’t sex objects, there wouldn’t be another generation. It’s the attraction between the sexes that makes the world go ‘round. That’s why women wear lipstick and short skirts." Since his death, old stories have resurfaced from various ex-playmates who spoke of life at the Playboy Mansion. Many of them have given detailed interviews and even published books about their experiences over the years. Former housemates have told stories of strict codes of conduct, demands of "sexual participation" in Hefner's "bedroom parties", and more than often the mention of qaaludes – a sedative-hypnotic drug – being referred to as "thigh openers" by Hefner. And when taking these allegations into consideration, it's unsurprising some people are not very supportive of everyone's heartfelt tributes to Hef's death. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/KingBiyela/status/913351880075563008]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/ryan_the_ryan/status/913266090863558656]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/VABVOX/status/913283246498205696]] Especially arresting are tales of sex acts in the house from former playmates. Kendra Wilkinson wrote in her book, "At about the minute mark, I pulled away and it was done. It was like a job. Clock in, clock out. It's not like I enjoyed having sex with him." "Each girl gets on top of him for two minutes while the girls in the background try to keep him excited," recalls Jill Ann Spaulding in hers. And it seems people don't forget those kind of stories about Hefner – whether true or not. [[twitterwidget||[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/oliviagatwood/status/913403250082287616]]]] Holly Madison, one of Hefner's former longterm "girlfriends" at the mansion famously revealed some gruelling stories of life in the Playboy Mansion in her memoir Down the Rabbit Hole. She wrote about "thigh openers" being offered to her by Hefner on her first night out with him, and how it was an unspoken rule and an expectation for the girls to sleep with Hefner after moving in to the mansion. She also wrote that the girls were pressured to adhere to certain fashion and beauty aesthetics, with plastic surgery paid for by Hefner, unlimited salon beauty services and a $1000 per week allowance to buy clothes. "He made it abundantly clear that he preferred us in very over-the-top, sort of trashy outfits," wrote Madison. One Twitter user said that although Hefner may have pampered his girlfriends and even respected them in his own way, he still treated women in general like "products to be consumed": [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/cmclymer/status/913256619194159104]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/cmclymer/status/913256132361310208]] Hefner's death is a difficult one to process. While he did do good for gay rights, civil rights, and a more... liberal sex culture, there is still a strong community of people who condemn the man for how he proudly objectified and strengthened certain aesthetic standards of women. With so much being said about him even after his death, it's hard to say whether he'll truly be able to rest in peace.