What is Cooper Hefner's Net Worth?
Cooper Hefner is an American businessman and military serviceman who has a net worth of $5 million. Cooper Hefner is the son of the late Playboy Enterprises founder Hugh Hefner. Cooper has worked at his father's company as chief creative officer and chief of global partnerships. Among his other endeavors, he founded and served as CEO of the media startup company Hop (Hefner Operations and Productions). In August 2023 he founded Hefner Capital.
Hugh Hefner Estate
At the time of his death in 2017, Hugh Hefner was worth $50 million. Contrary to popular belief, Hefner did NOT own the Playboy Mansion. For most of its history, the mansion was owned by Playboy Enterprises. Hefner paid an annual fee to cover rent and other expenses like food and parties. In typical years, that rent came to around $1 million. Playboy Enterprises sold the Playboy Mansion in 2016, a year before Hefner's death, for $100 million, with a stipulation that Hefner be allowed to continue living there for the rest of his life. The buyer was Daren Metropoulos. It was originally listed for $200 million. But again, to be clear, none of the Hefner family members benefitted from the mansion's sale.
At the time of his death, Hefner owned 35% of the Playboy brand and 100% of what was left of the print magazine. In 2018, Hefner's family sold his remaining 35% stake in the Playboy brand to Icon Acquisition Holdings LLC, the company that owned the other 65%, for $35 million. The deal was also a bit more complicated than a simple sale of stock. It was actually divided into two parts: First, Icon Acquisition Holdings agreed to buy 800,000 shares in the Playboy company for $15 million. Second, the million shares the family trust had are to be put in escrow, with Playboy paying for it with a loan of $20 million. Hefner was survived by four adult children and a wife, Crystal Hefner.
Early Life and Education
Cooper Hefner was born on September 4, 1991 in Los Angeles, California to Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner and his second wife, model Kimberley Conrad. He was raised in the Playboy Mansion. As a teenager, Hefner attended Ojai Valley School, graduating in 2009. He went on to attend Chapman University in Orange, California, earning his bachelor's degree in 2015.
Cooper, Hugh and Chrstal (via Getty)
Business Career
While still in college, Hefner began working for his father's company, Playboy Enterprises, Inc. In early 2016, he left Playboy on account of disagreements with CEO Scott Flanders about the direction of the company. Hefner went on to write, edit, and publish op-eds focused on culture, philosophy, and politics. He soon founded the media startup company Hop (Hefner Operations and Productions), which focused on content and social events targeted at Millennials. Hefner subsequently returned to Playboy, and was appointed the company's chief creative officer when his father stepped down from the role. In early 2017, he announced that Playboy magazine would resume its tradition of displaying nude images. Later in the year, Hefner oversaw the decision to feature Playboy's first-ever transgender playmate in a centerfold. For 2017, the magazine's earnings increased by over 39%.
In early 2019, Hefner became the chief of global partnerships at Playboy Enterprises. However, he soon left the role so he could launch the media company Hefner Media Corporation and the digital content platform StagDaily. These ventures were ultimately put on hold as Hefner elected instead to enlist in the United States Air Force.
Getty
Military Career
Previously a member of the California State Military Reserve, Hefner enlisted in the United States Air Force in late 2019. In 2021, he was deployed to New Jersey's Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst as part of President Biden's Operation Allies Welcome, which assisted in the resettlement of around 130,000 refugees from Afghanistan following the US's withdrawal from the country. Elsewhere, Hefner is a member of the Tennessee State Guard.
Other Activities
Among his other activities, Hefner teaches at his alma mater Chapman University; he also serves on the school's board of governors. In 2022, he ran as a Democrat for the California State Senate in the state's 30th district, but dropped out of the race after four months.
Personal Life
In 2015, Hefner got engaged to British actress Scarlett Byrne, known for her roles in the "Harry Potter" film series and the television series "The Vampire Diaries." The couple was married in 2019. The next year, they had their first child, daughter Betsy Rose. In 2022, the Hefners had two more children, twin daughters named Marigold Adele and Blossom Pearl.
Real Estate
In July 2021, Cooper paid $2.14 million for a home in Los Angeles.
