A statement from Hugh's son, Cooper Hefner, said: "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 defined a lifestyle and ethos that lie at the heart of the Playboy brand, one of the most recognisable and enduring in history.
The official Playboy Twitter account posted, 'American Icon and Playboy Founder, Hugh M. Hefner passed away today. He was 91. #RIPHef'.
The last message sent from Hugh's official Twitter account encouraged people to join him in supporting the hurricane relief efforts that had hit the USA.
He leaves behind four children and his third wife Crystal Harris who he married in 2012. He had previously been married to Kimberley Conrad for 21 years (1989-2010) and Millie Williams for ten years (1949-1959).
Playboy was first published in 1953 in Hugh's kitchen and sold seven million copies a month at its peak, making it the largest-selling men's magazine in the world.
Back in 2015 it was announced that Playboy would no longer publish pictures of fully nude women. They cited the reason as this was 'passé' in the internet age. However they did a u-turn only two years later in 2017. At the time Hugh said, "Today we’re taking our identity back and reclaiming who we are."
Tributes have been coming from celebrities around the world including Kim Kardashian West, Heidi Montag and singer Belinda Carlisle.
This article originally appeared on heat Radio.