Zack Walkter

After 45 years overseeing his entertainment empire from the comfortable confines of the opulent Playboy Mansion, Hugh Hefner has become a tenant. Last August, the 90-year-old founder of Playboy magazine sold the property via his Playboy Enterprises to private equity investor Daren Metropoulos for $100 million, with the caveat that Hefner can lease it for $1 million a month. Metropoulos—whose firm owns the Hostess snack company—is buying more than just a 29-room luxury residence. Throughout the decades, the Mansion has been seen as the ultimate destination for decadence and sexualized socializing. Check out 15 facts about its history, the secret tunnels built for celebrities, and why Mike Tyson won't be attending movie night anytime soon. 1. Hugh Hefner now rents the property after owning it for 45 years. Gosocial.co Last August he sold the mansion to private equity investor Daren Metropolis for $100 million – however, Hefner can still lease it for only $1 million a month. 2. Before buying the Playboy Mansion in 1971, Hefner took over a Chicago Mansion in 1959 – the original Playboy compound. Gosocial.co The property included an indoor swimming pool, and a bedroom/office with a 100-inch diameter bed. The Playboy models and nightclub employees could rent rooms for $50 a month, but no male visitors were allowed. 3. In March 2015 Playboy.com published detailed secret underground tunnels that ran from the properties of famous regulars like Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson and James Caan. Gosocial.co However, on April 1st, it was revealed that is was an April Fool’s joke. 4. The mansion's impressive art gallery reflects Hefner’s love for art, including paintings that sold for millions… Gosocial.co However during one visit in the 1970’s, John Lennon allegedly got drunk and put out a cigarette on a piece of work by Henri Matisse. Luckily Hefner was able to restore the art. 5. The mansion has a zoo license, and dozens of pets roam the grounds. It holds a resting place for it’s animals, which holds several of Hefner’s dogs, multiple monkeys and over 50 varieties of birds. 6. On the third to last step of the spiral staircase, there’s a silent alarm… Gosocial.co Stephen Baldwin revealed this when telling a tale about himself and Robert Downey, Jr. on their mission to hang out with the Playmates in the mansion’s wine cellar. It’s thought that the hidden feature dates back to 1927 when it held illegal alcohol during the Prohibition. 7. Luke Wilson told press in 2006 that he once got “DNAed” from the Mansion staff, which stands for “Do Not Admit”. One night, a mansion employee asked who he was bringing to one of their parties – he lied and said it was his brother, Owen when it was actually a friend. When they found out, he was denied entry for 18 months. 8. Several famous guests ended up moving in. Gosocial.co James Caan stayed there for a while in the 1970s, as well as Tony Curtis and Shel Silverstein. 9. There are three thousand volumes of scrapbooks in the Mansion’s library. Gosocial.co Hefner hired an in-house biographer named Steve Martinez who maintains the archives. He collects photos and information each week and on weekends Hefner helps him update the books. They date back to portraits of Hefner at only six months old! 10. The grotto has a reputation of being quite the cesspool of… bacteria. Gosocial.co In April 2011, 123 people attending a fundraiser party got really sick from the bacteria in the water, which health officials discovered causes Legionnaire’s disease. 11. The mansion hires 80 full-time employees. Gosocial.co This is what it takes to maintain the grounds, cook, provide security, and take care of electrical and plumbing services. 12. They have a giant statue of Frankenstein’s monster. Gosocial.co It hangs out with guests in the Guest Room while they wait for the festivities to get started. 13. And if that isn’t enough, there’s often a cardboard cut-out of Hefner there, too! Just in case he can’t attend a party or dinner. 14. Hustler founder Larry Flynt wanted to buy the mansion this year, with plans to convert it into the ‘Hustler Mansion’. Gosocial.co While he don’t know whether he actually made an offer, he made it clear that if he were to buy it, Hefner would not be able to stay there. 15. The mansion often has scheduled movie nights, where there is a strict no-disruption policy. Once, when Mike Tyson attended one of these events, he fell asleep and didn’t hear his phone continuously ring. Safe to say, he wasn’t invited again. Credits: gosocial.co Share this story on Facebook with your friends. Related: A Brief Photo History Of The Playboy Bunny Girls Guess What? You Can Rent Playboy Studios!