Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, who died at the age of 91, will be buried next to Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, the magazine's first cover girl. Hefner will be laid to rest at Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
Hefner had purchased the plot next to Monroe 25 years ago for USD 75,000, reported People magazine.
Monroe, who passed away in 1962 at the age of 36, was the first cover girl of the magazine when it debuted in 1953.
Westwood is the final resting place of some of Hollywood s biggest names, including Natalie Wood, Farrah Fawcett, Truman Capote, Dean Martin, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Rodney Dangerfield. PTI BK
A statement from the company read that Hefner died from natural causes surrounded by kith and kin at his home, The Playboy Mansion, reported ABC News. "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," the statement read.
Hefner's son Cooper also issued a statement in which he traced back his father's journey into spearheading a sexual revolution, along with freedom of expression in the US. "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 recognisable and enduring in history. He will be greatly missed by many..." Cooper, 26, said of his father. Hailing from Chicago, Hefner was born to Glenn and Grace Hefner on April 9, 1926.
After graduating from high school, he served as a writer for a military newspaper in the US Army from 1944-1946 during World War II. He enrolled in University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and got his degree of BA in Psychology in 1949. Hefner founded Playboy with the aim to create a niche and upscale magazine for men - which offered a spread of images of nude women, along with detailed write-ups, interviews and fiction by many a well-known writers.
The magazine came to be recongnised by its logo of the bunny face with a bow tie. According to reports, he started the magazine with USD 600 and another USD 1,000 that he borrowed from his mother. In its first year, Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe featured as a Playmate on the first centrefold of the monthly magazine, which was a special feature.
