Las Vegas Weekly

December 9, 2008 · 2:08 PM

Playboy shocker as Christie Hefner resigns

By Robin Leach

Hugh Hefner ushers in the Playboy Club at the Palms in 2006. Daughter Christie Hefner is second from right.

Photo: TVT

After 20 years of heading up Playboy Enterprises, Hugh Hefner’s 58-year-old daughter Christie has suddenly called it quits -- and her surprise departure will be effective at the end of January.

Christie said that nobody encouraged her to resign even though recent Playboy revenues and circulation have slumped. She is, however, credited with reviving the brand in the 1980s and was responsible for the deal that rebirthed the Playboy Clubs, with a first outpost here at George Maloof’s Palms. Christie, who attended that opening and has returned several times since, also had Playboy Clubs planned for Macau and London.

Now Christie, who has been a regular visitor here and is on the board of the Canyon Ranch Spa at The Venetian and the Palazzo, plans to go into public service and charity work in her hometown of Chicago. No word on how her out-of-the-blue decision will affect a new season of The Girls Next Door since main attraction Holly Madison has moved out and is now dating Criss Angel.

Hef himself issued a statement: “I asked Christie to step up as president when the company faced serious financial difficulties more than two decades ago. She worked tirelessly to expand the company’s franchise, and as a result, today the company has more consumers and fans than at any time in its history. As her father, my first priority of course is her happiness. While I will miss her leadership here, I believe she will go on to achieve even greater personal success.”

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