Hugh Hefner dead: Playboy magazine publishes tribute to its founder

Magnate launched publication more than 60 years ago from his kitchen

Playboy paid tribute to the magazine's founder (Playboy)

Playboy has turned its website into a tribute to the magazine’s founder Hugh Hefner, who has died at the age of 91.

Underneath a photo of Hefner in a suit and smoking a pipe, a quote reads: "Life is too short to be living somebody else’s dream."

Hefner founded Playboy magazine more than 60 years ago as a supposedly upscale men’s publication which combined images of nude women with in-depth features, interviews and literature.

Playboy Enterprises confirmed Mr Hefner had passed away in a statement.

"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," it read.

Hefner began publishing the magazine in his kitchen in 1953, a humble beginning for a publication that would grow to become the largest-selling men’s magazine in the world.

The Playboy media and lifestyle brand is one of the most widely recognised globally, featuring the magazine and products, as well as casinos.

His son, Cooper Hefner, paid tribute to his father on behalf of the family.

"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 said.

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