The Business of Playboy Enterprises

The $207 million empire includes everything from its storied mansion to a film festival.

our editor recommends

Hugh Hefner: The Playboy Interview

Hugh Hefner: 10 Truths Behind the Playboy Legend

Hugh Hefner to Take Playboy Private in $207 Million Deal

Hugh Hefner Takes Playboy Private



MOST VALUABLE: The Mansion

Built in 1927, the Playboy Mansion sits on more than 5 acres east of UCLA. Playboy's 2009 annual report valued it at about $1.2 million; a 2011 lawsuit estimates its worth at $54 million; and two realtors say it could go for up to $100 million.

Entertainment

With nearly 200 producer credits in 40 years, Hefner has made an indelible mark on the industry. From 2005 to 2010, Hef appeared in the wildly successful E! reality series The Girls Next Door (which averaged 1 million-plus viewers).

Publishing

Even with circulation down nearly 80 percent from its heyday in the early 1970s (from 7 million to 1.5 million today), Playboy continues to flourish internationally -- currently the magazine can be found in more than 30 countries.

Online

Playboy.com sees approximately 5.7 million unique monthly visitors and 45 million page views (the most traffic of all online Playboy properties, including e-commerce sites Playboystore.com and Shopthebunny.com).

Licensing

Bunny-branding is as synonymous with Playboy as the magazine itself. Everything from apparel and furniture to nightclubs and even the venerable jazz festival have been emblazoned with the infamous logo, causing some consumer burnout.

Giving Back

Hefner ardently supports First Amendment rights: The Playboy Foundation has donated more than $20 million to nonprofits and funded films like the doc Freeheld; a Bombay Sapphire-sponsored short film contest promotes freedom of expression.

Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images

Courtesy Playboy Estonia

Courtesy of Playboy

Heidi Gutman/Courtesy of Lieutenant Films