Playboy founder Hugh Hefner dies aged 91

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner has died "peacefully" at age 91.

Hefner died from natural causes at The Playboy Mansion on Wednesday, a company spokesperson said.

“Hugh M Hefner, the American icon, peacefully passed away today from natural causes at his home surrounded by loved ones," the statement said.

The statement described Hefner as an "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".

He is survived by his wife, Crystal, and four grown children: Christie, who served as CEO of Playboy Enterprise for more than 20 years, David, Marston and Cooper, who serves as chief creative officer at the company.

Hugh Hefner (pictured with his wife Crystal) has died peacefully in his home. Photo: Getty

Hefner's son Cooper released a statement after his father's passing, saying he “lived an exceptional and impactful life.”

"He defined a lifestyle and ethos that lie at the heart of the Playboy brand, one of the most recognisable and enduring in history," the statement said.

"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."

Before his death, Hefner purchased a crypt next to his first ever Playboy cover girl, Marilyn Monroe, so he could "spend an eternity" beside her.

Hefner's son Cooper released a statement after his father's passing. Photo: Getty

Hefner died from natural causes at The Playboy Mansion on Wednesday. Photo: Getty

Founding the magazine in 1953, Hefner built a brand that defined the sexual culture of the second half of the 20th century.

Playboy's buxom models were the objects of millions of men's fantasies as Hefner challenged what he derided as America's "puritanical" attitudes toward sex.

He bought the Playboy Mansion in 1971 and famously housed many young women known at 'Playboy Bunnies'. Some of them appeared on the E! reality TV show, Girls of the Playboy Mansion.

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"I'm never going to grow up," Hefner said in a CNN interview when he was 82.

"Staying young is what it is all about for me. Holding on to the boy and long ago I decided that age really didn't matter and as long as the ladies ... feel the same way, that's fine with me."

Long before the Internet made nudity ubiquitous, Hefner faced obscenity charges in 1963 for publishing and circulating photos of disrobed celebrities and aspiring stars but he was acquitted.

In a bid to define the “Playboy Philosophy”, Hefner penned a monthly editorial where he discussed matters close to his heart, including same sex marriage, civil rights and free speech.

For decades, he was the pipe-smoking, silk-pyjama-wearing centre of a constant fantasy party at Playboy mansions in Chicago and then in Los Angeles.

After suffering a minor stroke in 1985, Hefner made daughter Christie chief executive officer of Playboy Enterprises and she gave the business a makeover before stepping down in 2009.

Hefner's son, Cooper, who was nearly 40 years younger than Christie, assumed a major role in the company in 2014.

Hefner settled down somewhat in 2012 at age 86 when he married his third wife Crystal Harris, who was 60 years younger than him.

Hefner settled down somewhat in 2012 at age 86 when he married Crystal Harris, his third wife. Photo: Getty

News of Hefner’s death sparked an outpouring of emotion from fans around the world, as celebrities took to Twitter to pay their respects.