David Hefner Bio: All There Is To Know About Hugh Hefner’s Son

David Hefner (born 30th of August 1955, Age: 68 years old) is the son of Hugh Hefner, founder and editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine. He is an American computer analyst and filmmaker in his own right.

Ever since Hugh Hefner passed away in 2017, his legacy has been kept alive by the Playboy Empire that he founded. His children have also done their own bit in honouring the family name. The Playboy founder had four children in the course of his lifetime and just like him, most of them do not shy away from the spotlight.

There is, however, one Hefner who does not court the spotlight and that is his oldest son, David Hefner. Unlike his dad, who once had his wild partying life as the subject of a reality TV show, David very much prefers a regular home life. This has seen him largely fly under the radar but there is more to him than meets the eye.

David Hefner is the Second Child of Playboy Founder, Hugh Hefner and His First Wife – Mildred Williams

David Hefner was born on the 30th of August 1955 which makes him 68 years old. He is the first son of Playboy founder, Hugh Hefner, and his mother is Hefner’s first wife, Mildred Williams.

As at the time that David Hefner was born, his father had left his job as a copywriter for Esquire in order to set up his Playboy Magazine in 1953. His magazine tastefully combined lifestyle and sex and proved to be a hit with the viewing public. For the next 20 years, Playboy dominated the market, circulating to over seven million readers. A quarter of all male college students were also regular buyers.

David Hefner’s dad did not just stop at magazine success. He launched Playboy into one of the most recognized brands in the world with several clubs and casinos to its name. He also appeared as himself in several movies and TV shows and famously starred with his three girlfriends on a reality TV series. Though the Playboy Empire suffered some dwindling fortunes later, David Hefner’s dad is remembered as an advocate of sexual liberation, free speech, and other worthy causes.

His Parents Were Married for Ten Years and Sometimes Had an Open Marriage

David Hefner’s mother is Mildred Williams. She is a native of Chicago Illinois and was born on the 10th of March 1926. Mildred was a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign when she and Hugh Hefner first met each other. They started dating but decided not to engage in any sexual relations until they were married.

Hefner later left college for the army but he and Mildred continued their relationship. He then came back and they wed in 1949. Shortly before the wedding, the couple finally decided to have sex and Mildred subsequently confessed to Hefner that she had a brief affair while he was away in the army.

He was devastated by this confession, as he had saved himself for her, but still went ahead with the marriage. Hefner and Mildred were married for a total of ten years during which they welcomed two children – David and his older sister, Christie.

The couple and their kids lived a comfortable life, thanks to the burgeoning Playboy Empire, but their life wasn’t perfect. Mildred permitted Hefner to sleep with other women out of guilt over her own infidelity and in the hope that it would preserve their marriage. It had the opposite effect and the couple called it quits in 1959.

David Hefner’s Mom Remarried a Man Named Edwin Gunn Following Her Divorce From His Dad

Divorce can have a negative impact on kids and this was the case with David Hefner for some time. At the time his parents divorced, he was about four years old and his mother ended up remarrying a man named Edwin Gunn.

David and his sister lived with their mom and stepdad while their real dad continued his flamboyant lifestyle. This affected their relationship with their dad and their stepfather adopted them. David and his sister even changed their surnames to Gunn but they later went back to answering Hefner as they rebuilt their relationship with their dad.

Despite the partying, and frolicking, Hugh Hefner was a family man at heart. He made out time to have a personal relationship with both David and Christie and this strengthened the relationship he had with them. He attended school graduations and was there for other important occasions. Up until his last years on earth, Hugh Hefner still regularly got together with his kids and they often played backgammon, a favorite pastime of theirs.

David Hefner Owns a Computer Consulting Firm and Also Works as a Film Producer

David Hefner completed his high school diploma before enrolling in the University of California Santa Cruz for a degree in film and digital media. He has since launched his own computer consulting firm. He has also dabbled into film production. His first independent film, Forgotten Pills, won the grand jury prize for best feature at the 2010 Dances with Films Festival. His second feature, Washed, was released in 2014.

David Hefner is credited as an editor on productions such as Grandmother (2010), Heroes at Home (2008), Shut up and Shoot (2006), Dusty Road (2006), Pay Attention (2004), Talita (2017), Translogic (2013-2019), and Washed (2010).

David has clearly chosen not to work in a professional capacity for Playboy but he hasn’t completely abandoned his father’s path. During his lifetime, Hugh Hefner scored cameo appearances in several movies and TV series and was even nominated for a Razzie Award for worst supporting actor in 2009. On a positive note, he also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for television.

His Older Sister, Christie Hefner, Served as the Chairman and CEO of Playboy For 20 Years

David Hefner has a total of three siblings, his sister, Christie Hefner, and two younger half-brothers, Marston and Cooper. Christie graduated summa cum laude from Brandeis University before going on to freelance for a magazine temporarily.

She joined Playboy Magazine in the mid-70s and by 1988, became chairman and CEO. She held this position for 20 years during which she expanded the Playboy Empire into TV business and websites. She greatly leveraged their licensing power and saw sales reach almost $1 billion. Christie stepped down in 2009 and is now focusing on charity work such as criminal justice, prevention of drug abuse, etc.

Another of David’s siblings that have worked for Playboy enterprises is his younger half-brother, Cooper. Cooper is the son of Hugh Hefner and his second wife, Kimberley Conrad. He was born in 1991 and graduated from Chapman University in 2015. He launched his own media startup company Hop in 2016.

That same year, he joined Playboy as the chief creative officer. Just like David, the one Hefner sibling who has decided not to work with Playboy is his younger half-brother, Marston. Marston was born in 1990 and his mother is Kimberley Conrad. Marston is a writer and gamer and has penned a book zombie book titled Bleed. He was once arrested for attacking his girlfriend in 2012. He was ordered to stay away from her for three years and sentenced to a one-year domestic violence program.

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David Hefner’s Brother, Cooper, Got Married to Actress, Scarlett Byrne, in 2019

While most of David Hefner’s siblings occasionally make the news for one reason or the other, he has chosen to stay out of the spotlight. As such, it is difficult to tell whether he is married or has kids, unlike his siblings. Elder sister, Christie, was previously married to Illinois state senator and attorney, William Marovitz.

Their marriage lasted from 1995 to 2013 and produced no children. In 2015, David’s younger half-brother, Cooper, got engaged to Harry Potter actress, Scarlett Byrne. They wed in November 2019 and went on to welcome a daughter, Betsy Rose in august 2020. Betsy Rose is David’s first niece.

Quick Facts

1. Who is David Hefner? David Hefner is an American entrepreneur and the eldest son of Hugh Hefner, the founder of the Playboy magazine. He has chosen a path away from his father’s fame, establishing his own computer consulting firm. Born in Palo Alto, California, on August 30, 1955, David is 68 years old.
2. What is David Hefner’s educational background? David Hefner is well-educated. He went to a private school in his hometown, Palo Alto, and later attended the University of California Santa Cruz. He majored in film and digital media.
3. What is David Hefner’s marital status? As per our information, David Hefner is not married and currently single. He has always been a private person, thus information regarding his personal life is scarce.
4. What is David Hefner’s profession? David Hefner is a successful businessman. He owns a PC consulting firm. He has also worked in the film industry, participating in movies such as “Forgotten Pills” and “Washed”.
5. How tall is David Hefner and what is his physical appearance? David Hefner is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 75 kg. He has brown eyes and black hair.
6. What is David Hefner’s net worth? David Hefner’s net worth is approximately $2 million USD. His wealth comes from his own business, not his father’s well-established business.
7. Has David Hefner won any awards? Yes, David Hefner’s movie “Forgotten Pills” has won the Grand Jury Prize in 2010 and has been featured in several film festivals.
8. Is David Hefner active on social media? No, David Hefner is not very active on social media. He prefers to maintain a low profile and keeps his personal life private.
9. Who are David Hefner’s siblings? David Hefner has three siblings – Christie Hefner, Cooper Hefner, and Marston Hefner. His sister, Christie Hefner, has worked with Playboy for nearly 30 years.
10. Does David Hefner have any involvement in his father’s Playboy business? Despite being the son of Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine, David Hefner has chosen to live a private life and maintain a professional distance from the Playboy brand. His career path lies in the tech industry, owning a computer consulting firm.