Hugh Hefner’s company lives on, though as a shadow of itself

NEW YORK (AP) - Playboy Enterprises has outlived the founder of its iconic magazine, though largely as a shadow of its former self.

Hugh Hefner’s Playboy, a magazine founded to celebrate his “Playboy Philosophy” of sexual freedom, influenced sexual mores and popular culture for decades. A business empire grew out of that, but it’s shrunk considerably over the years. It now lives on primarily as a set of bunny ears slapped on products around the world.

Hefner died earlier this week at 91.

The magazine itself, whose circulation peaked in the 1970s at 7 million, is now seen as more of a marketing tool that supports the licensing operations at the heart of the modern company.