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Hugh Hefner's son reveals what it was like growing up in the Playboy Mansion

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Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner has died, Playboy Enterprises confirmed in a press release Wednesday night. He was 91.

For the last 40 years, the entertainment icon made his home in the infamous Playboy Mansion.


Daren Metropoulos bought the mansion for $100 million in 2016, with the condition that Hefner could live there for the rest of his life.

In 2014, Hefner's son Cooper told us about how his childhood spent in what many consider to be a sort of adult fantasyland. For Cooper, it was quite the opposite: a child's wonderland fueled by Indiana Jones-inspired adventures in the Grotto, a zoo full of exotic animals, and epic games of hide-and-seek played in the mansion's private forest of redwood trees.

Cooper shared his experiences growing up inside the mansion and invited Business Insider along on a private tour of the grounds.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This video was originally published in 2014.


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Here's what will happen to the Playboy Mansion now that Hugh Hefner has died

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hugh hefner

Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy magazine and longtime tenant of its namesake house, has died at 91.

The famous 20,000-square-foot Holmby Hills estate that he inhabited for more than 40 years will soon enter a new phase under different ownership.

The Playboy Mansion sold for $100 million in 2016. Though that's certainly a high number, it was merely half of the asking price that had made it the most expensive for-sale house in America for much of 2016.

The house was sold to its next-door neighbor, Daren Metropoulos, a principal of the private-equity firm Metropoulos & Co. and a former co-CEO of Pabst Brewing Company.

The home was never technically owned by Hefner. Playboy Enterprises bought the mansion for just over $1 million 45 years ago and leased it back to him. He reportedly paid just $100 a year to live there under the arrangement. 

Hefner did, however, have life rights to the property — as a stipulation in the sale, he could live there for as long as he wanted, though he would pay $1 million a year to do so.

Metropoulos said at the time of the sale that he intended to connect the Playboy Mansion and his adjoining property, which he bought in 2009 for $18 million.

"I feel fortunate and privileged to now own a one-of-a-kind piece of history and art," Metropoulos said in a press release announcing the closing of the sale. "I look forward to eventually rejoining the two estates and enjoying this beautiful property as my private residence for years to come."

On the occasion of his Hefner's death, Metropoulos released a statement:

"Hugh Hefner was a visionary in business, a giant in media, and an iconic figure of pop culture whose legacy will leave a lasting impact. I was fortunate to know him as a neighbor and friend and I extend my deepest sympathies to his family."

SEE ALSO: Playboy founder Hugh Hefner dead at age 91

DON'T MISS: Go inside the infamous Playboy Mansion, Hugh Hefner's longtime $100 million home

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NOW WATCH: Hugh Hefner's son reveals what it was like growing up in the Playboy Mansion

Here's who will most likely inherit Hugh Hefner's millions

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hugh hefner

Hugh Hefner, the founder of the Playboy empire, died Wednesday evening at the age of 91, leaving behind a brand worth millions and a fortune that accumulated — and diminished — over decades.

Hefner's wealth was widely estimated to be about $50 million at the time of his death, though the market researcher Wealth-X told Business Insider that Hefner was worth at least $110 million, with roughly $45 million in liquid assets.

According to The Telegraph, at the height of Playboy's success in the early 1970s, Hefner was reported to be worth about $200 million — mostly owing to the popularity of the men's magazine he founded in 1953.

The outlet reported that Hefner owned 35% of the Playboy brand at the time of his death. He also owned 100% of the magazine itself, the sales of which have declined severely over the years. (In 1999, Hefner's 70% ownership of Playboy stock was valued as high as $399 million, according to The Telegraph.)

The question of who will inherit Hefner's wealth is somewhat nebulous since it is unclear what his will entailed, though Us Weekly reported in 2013 that Hefner's wealth would be left to "his children, the University of Southern California film school, and a variety of charities."

Hefner has four surviving children, including his daughter Christie Hefner, who was the CEO of Playboy Enterprises for two decades until 2009, and his 26-year-old son, Cooper Hefner, who is Playboy's chief creative officer.

The Mirror reported that Crystal Hefner, Hefner's 31-year-old wife of five years, would "inherit nothing" of her late husband's wealth because of an "iron-clad prenuptial agreement," but that she would be "looked after."

SEE ALSO: Playboy founder Hugh Hefner dead at age 91

DON'T MISS: The insane life of 26-year-old Cooper Hefner, son of the late Playboy millionaire

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NOW WATCH: A Dungeons & Dragons master shows us how to play the classic game featured in 'Stranger Things'

For $33,000 a person, this luxury travel agency will take you to an undisclosed location to 'get lost'

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Lumajang Regency, Java, IndonesiaUsually, when you have an upcoming trip, you and your travel companions have it more or less mapped out. Day activities are planned long in advance, reservations are made, and dinner spots are booked. 

However, the London-based luxury travel agency Black Tomato wants to turn the idea of planning a trip on its head with a new program offering called Get Lost.

Get Lost, which consults with you on how you want to feel during your trip — rather than where you want to go — can take you off the grid and into the unknown. With packages starting at $33,000 per person, it's uncertain where you might find yourself, but it's sure to be an unforgettable experience. 

Below, find out how the program works, and where you could potentially end up.  

SEE ALSO: You can buy a third of a Hawaiian island for $260 million — but there's a catch

Clients interested in the program get matched with a Get Lost Travel Expert.



During the consultation, travelers reveal what their goals are for their trip — and why exactly they want to disconnect from their everyday world.



How the traveler wants to feel while on their Get Lost journey is also taken into account.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A microbiologist explains why he hasn't slept without this on his bed in 25 years

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sleeping

New York University microbiologist Philip Tierno hasn't slept a night in 25 years without something on his mattress that few people even think of buying.

It's a super-thin, largely invisible cover that slips over the mattress. And it protects him from what he calls a "zoologic park" of bacteria and debris that accumulates over the years.

If left for too long, this microscopic life can make us sick, Tierno told Business Insider.

"You know how the Roman empire got buried over time, and all those remains are now quite a few feet below ground and they have to excavate. In a similar fashion, debris that is found in and on mattresses — especially in the interior — builds up," Tierno said.

The onslaught of bacteria begins with our own cells, but builds and builds as more microbes settle in.

"When you're in the bed you desquamate, or you slough off tissue, And all that cellular debris collects between your sheet and the sheet over the mattress. That serves as food for dust mites. They eat human tissue. And they defecate and excrete substances and then they die. And that’s part of the allergens that collect. In addition you have bodily secretions of all types," Tierno said.

Zhuang Jing checking mattressTo stem the invisible tide, he said, no one should sleep without a water resistant, breathable mattress protector. In the past, these protectors were uncomfortable, shiny things made of plastic, but today they're produced with material that you can barely feel.

If you have and use a protector, you can extend the lifespan of your mattress by as long as five to 10 years, Tierno estimated.

"The idea is you don’t have to change it ever — only when it becomes mechanically dysfunctional," such as when you start to notice a groove in the part of the bed you usually lie on or the mattress' firmness begins to yield, he said.

Most estimates put the lifetime of the average mattress at around eight to 10 years, Natalie Dautovich, a scientist with the National Sleep Foundation, told US News & World Report. But that often fails to take into account the microbial build-up on your bed, Tierno said.

By adding a mattress protector, you're protecting yourself from the billions of bacteria — sweat, lint, dust mites, animal dander, mucous, soil, sand, cosmetics, food, and insect parts, to name a few — that you'd otherwise be breathing in every night.

Doing this can worsen existing allergies and even create new ones, Tierno said. "You can wake up in the morning with a stuffy nose and think, 'I wonder why I’m so stuffed up.' In reality it’s your bedding."

Some of the things that build up in your mattress can be powerful allergens. The feces of dust mites, for example, are rich in two substances called Der P1 and Der P5. In people with existing allergies (or roughly one in six Americans), these substances can trigger asthma-like symptoms, chronic sinus problems, and eczema.

Without one of these covers, it's impossible to say how long you can go without replacing your mattress, Tierno said. There's no question that every year this debris collects."

Your best line of defense, then, is a mattress protector. So long as your mattress is shielded, "then you’re left with just washing the sheets on a weekly basis," Tierno said.

SEE ALSO: How often you should wash your bed sheets, according to a microbiologist

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NOW WATCH: Here's why four hours of sleep is terrible for you — even if you don't feel tired

Michelle Obama says women who voted against Hillary Clinton 'voted against their own voice'

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michelle obama

Former first lady Michelle Obama told an audience in Boston this week that she believed women who chose Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in the presidential election "voted against their own voice."

Obama made the comments at the Inbound 2017 conference, and brought up the election results as she was discussing her observations that many women, particularly in the workplace, feel inferior and begin "pretending to be something else," according to videos from the event.

"Quite frankly, we saw this in this election. As far as I'm concerned, any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton voted against their own voice, in a way," Obama said, as the crowd applauded.

She continued: "To me, it doesn't say as much about Hillary — and everybody's trying to wonder, 'Well, what does it mean for Hillary?' No, no, no. What does it mean for us as women that we look at those two candidates — as women — and many of us said, 'That guy. He's better for me. His voice is more true to me.' Well, to me, that just says you don't like your voice. You like the thing we're told to like."

Wavering female support for Clinton's candidacy has been a frequently analyzed topic in the wake of Trump's election win. According to exit poll data, Clinton won female voters overall by 54% to 42%, and she won an overwhelming 94% of black women and 68% of Hispanic women. Clinton even won a slim margin of college-educated white women by 51% to Trump's 45%.

But Clinton lost white female voters overall to Trump, who backed her Republican opponent 53% to 43%, and non-college-educated white women backed Trump 62% to Clinton's 34%.

Obama was one of Clinton's most prominent surrogates on the campaign trail, and has been a forceful Trump critic — most famously after the leaked "Access Hollywood" tape that caught Trump on a hot mic boasting about grabbing women "by the p---y."

Trump's remarks in the 2005 recording had "shaken me to my core in a way that I couldn't have predicted," Obama said at the time. "This wasn't just locker room banter. This was a powerful individual speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behavior."

Obama told the Boston audience on Wednesday that her past remarks about the election have been "rolling around" in her mind as she writes her book reflecting on her eight years as first lady.

"When you're in it, you don't have a moment, a second, to think," she said, according to CNN. "This is the first time in eight years, probably 10 years, that I'll have a chance to think back on what it all meant."

Watch a clip of Obama's remarks below:

SEE ALSO: Michelle Obama is being paid a stunning amount for speaking gigs that rivals recent presidents

DON'T MISS: The cost difference between Melania Trump's and Michelle Obama's outfits reveals the truth about America's criticisms of them

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NOW WATCH: 'This is not something that we can ignore': Michelle Obama slams Trump over sexual assault claims

Hugh Hefner founded Playboy after he was denied a $5-a-week raise at Esquire

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hugh hefner

In 1952, Hugh Hefner was a 26-year-old copywriter at Esquire magazine with an entrepreneurial dream. 

Hefner, who died on Wednesday at the age of 91, famously founded Playboy magazine in 1953 after Esquire denied him a $5 raise to his $60-a-week salary.

As The Wrap notes, Hefner quit Esquire in 1952, took out a mortgage of $600, and raised $8,000 from 45 investors, including $1,000 from his mother, to set the foundation for Playboy. 

The first issue of Playboy Magazine hit newsstands in 1953. 

It featured nude photographs of actress Marilyn Monroe, which were taken from a 1949 calendar shoot, according to The Wrap.

marilyn monroe playboyThe first issue was an instant hit, selling more than 50,000 copies and laying the groundwork for an iconic brand that would go on to make millions over the decades. 

In the early 1970s, Playboy magazine hit its peak, with sales of seven million copies for a single issue. In 1999, Hefner's 70% ownership of Playboy stock was valued as high as $399 million, according to The Telegraph.

Though sales of the magazine dwindled in recent decades, the Playboy brand is still worth millions. Market researcher Wealth-X told Business Insider that Hefner was worth at least $110 million at the time of his death, with roughly $45 million in liquid assets. 

SEE ALSO: Here's who will likely inherit Hugh Hefner's millions

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NOW WATCH: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says companies need to take stances on controversial issues

How Hugh Hefner argued that Playboy wasn't sexist

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hugh hefner playboy bunnies

Iconic for its groundbreaking nude centerfolds, critics have lambasted Playboy for objectifying women since Hugh Hefner printed the magazine's first issue in 1953.

Hefner died Wednesday at age 91.

Hailed as a visionary by those who appreciated his mindset, and derided by those who charged he peddled smut, Hefner was one of the 20th century's most polarizing figures.

He described his magazine as a showcase for beauty, and fought his entire life for gay rights, integration, and free speech.

In an interview with NPR in 2003, Hefner responded to critics who called Playboy sexist, explaining that he saw the brand as a showcase for appreciating beauty:

"What I wanted to create was a pinup phenomenon that was devoted to the girl next door. Beauty is everywhere — on the campus, in the office, living next door. That was the concept ... Nice girls like sex too — it's a natural part of life. Don't be ashamed of it. Part of the sexual revolution is bringing rationality to sexuality. Because when you don't embrace sexuality in a normal way, you get the twisted kinds, and the kinds that destroy lives."

Some considered Hefner the founder and leader of the sexual revolution in the 1960s. Others accused him of profiting from misogyny.

"There is nothing revolutionary about men exploiting women for their own sexual gratification or financial gain," Claire Heuchan wrote for Glamour magazine after his death. "It has been happening for hundreds of years, and is called patriarchy."

Hefner didn't shy away from his notorious appreciation for women's bodies, even admitting to Vanity Fair in 2010 that he actually did consider women "objects."

"Feminists still oppose you for treating women as objects," John Heilpern said to Hefner in the dining room of the Playboy Mansion.

"They are objects!" he responded. "Playboy fought for what became women's issues, including birth control. We were the amicus curiae, friend of the court, in Roe v. Wade, which gave women the right to choose. But the notion that women would not embrace their own sexuality is insane."

"Some believe you have a prurient interest in them," Heilpern pressed.

"I certainly hope so!" Hefner responded.

Hugh Hefner, left, and girlfriend Barbi Benton, center, are served by N.Y. Playboy Club Bunny Cheri upon arrival at La Guardia aboard the Big Bunny, Heffners personal 5½ million dollar DC-9 jet, March 1970, New York.

Hefner was married to three women, slept with thousands, and had countless girlfriends — many of them Playboy Playmates who lived with him at the mansion.

Holly Madison, who was Hefner's main girlfriend for years and gained fame on the E! show "The Girls Next Door", alleged in her 2015 tell-all memoir that Hefner had strict rules for his girlfriends and subjected them to sex rituals.

In 1963, feminist icon Gloria Steinem went undercover as a Playboy bunny in one of Hefner's clubs in Manhattan. She revealed the women had to undergo STD testing before they could interact with men in the clubs, were underpaid, overworked, and frequently experienced unwanted sexual contact from the "guests."

Her investigation did improve working conditions at The Playboy Club, and most shut down by the 1990s, though some still exist today.

Hefner reportedly told Steinem in 1970 that feminism was "foolishness."

"What Playboy doesn't know about women could fill a book," she told him, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "There are times when a woman reading a Playboy feels a little like a Jew reading a Nazi manual."

Hefner saw Playboy as a place to embrace sexuality in a healthy way.

"If you don't encourage healthy sexual expression in public, you get unhealthy sexual expression in private," Hefner said in Playboy in 1974, according to CNN. "If you attempt to suppress sex in books, magazines, movies and even everyday conversation, you aren't helping to make sex more private, just more hidden. You're keeping sex in the dark. What we've tried to do is turn on the lights."

SEE ALSO: The 25 most famous women to appear on Playboy's cover

DON'T MISS: Hugh Hefner went deaf from too much Viagra but said he'd rather have sex than hearing

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Hugh Hefner's son reveals what it was like growing up in the Playboy Mansion


Ikea has reportedly acquired a startup that already delivers and assembles its furniture

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Ikea

Ikea has reportedly bought a startup that could fix the most annoying thing about the iconic furniture company. 

The home-goods giant has acquired TaskRabbit, Recode reported Thursday, citing sources close to the situation.

TaskRabbit is a "gig economy"-style startup founded in 2008. The company lets users hire temporary workers to deliver purchases, clean homes, and even assemble furniture. 

Ikea already has an official partnership with TaskRabbit in the UK. The program offers fixed pricing for Ikea customers seeking someone to assemble furniture purchased from Ikea — a famously tricky task. 

TaskRabbit already advertises furniture pick up, delivery and assembly services. In New York City, "Ikea Assembly" is a specific task that customers can select from a list of available options, which include things such as waiting in line and yard work. 

"The purchase of TaskRabbit was fueled by Ikea's need to bolster its digital customer service capabilities to better compete with rivals likes Amazon, which has stepped up its home goods and installation offerings," Recode reported. "The purchase is Ikea’s first step into the on-demand platform space."

Recode could not determine how much Ikea reportedly paid for TaskRabbit, which has raised roughly $50 million since it was founded in 2008. Ikea didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. 

SEE ALSO: DUNKIN' CEO: 'Demanding' millennials are forcing a delivery revolution

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NOW WATCH: Ex-Google employees created a vending machine to replace corner stores — and the idea is being mocked all over Twitter

This all-you-can-eat buffet chain is making monumental changes — and one visit made us realize why they were necessary

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Golden Corral 18

Golden Corral is making some drastic changes. 

The all-you-can eat buffet chain is revamping its design with airier dining rooms and more streamlined footprints. On Monday, Golden Corral announced it's installing meat smokers and adding more barbecue options to the menu at its nearly 500 restaurants.   

With revenue falling 2.6% last year, according to CNBC, the chain desperately needs to jump start its business. But, what exactly needs to change? 

We visited a Golden Corral in Waynesboro, Virginia, to find out if this American classic needs a makeover, or if it's beautiful just the way it is. 

SEE ALSO: We visited gas-station rivals Wawa and Sheetz to see which does it better — and the winner is obvious

The Golden Corral we visited looked like a modern fortress, overlooking the blue Shenandoah Valley with its boxy, yet bland, facade.



Apparently, it's the best buffet in Waynesboro — but we'd be the judge of that.



The entrance was a bit confusing for a Golden Corral ingénue. First, you get your drink and pay, before even finding your table and loading up on food. Prices vary by location, but we paid $8.69 for lunch and $2.29 for drinks.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The fabulous life of entertainment icon Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy

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Hugh Hefner, center, poses with a group of current and former Playboy bunnies at the Playboy Club, Tuesday, June 25, 1986, Los Angeles, Calif. The famed clubs owned by the Playboy Corporation will be closing their doors on Monday, June 30.On Wednesday night, Playboy Enterprises confirmed in a press release that its founder, Hugh Hefner, had died at 91. Hefner died of natural causes, surrounded by friends and family.

"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," Hefner's son Cooper, the chief creative officer of Playboy Enterprises, said in a statement.

Below, take a look back at the life of the legendary Hefner.

SEE ALSO: Here's what will happen to the Playboy Mansion now that Hugh Hefner has died

Hefner launched Playboy magazine in 1953 with $8,000 in borrowed money. Its first issue featured Marilyn Monroe, and it sold 54,000 copies.

Source: Hollywood Reporter



Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Hefner hosted a few TV shows, including "Playboy's Penthouse," during which he would interview celebrities like Sammy Davis Jr. and Bob Newhart.



He also hosted the show "Playboy After Dark," which had various musical performers as guests. Hefner also created the Playboy Club, which had several nightclub locations.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How Hugh Hefner turned Playboy from a pipe dream at his kitchen table to an iconic brand reportedly worth $500 million

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Playboy Editor-in-Chief and Chief Creative Officer Hugh Hefner

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner died Wednesday at the age of 91.

In 2016, it was estimated that the playboy and mogul's lifestyle magazine and its "bunny-branded licensing assets" could sell for up to $500 million, according to USA Today. At the time of his death, Hefner owned 100% of the magazine and 35% of the overall brand, according to Business Insider.

Wealth-X, a market research firm, estimates Hefner's net worth was at least $110 million at the time of his death, with $45 million in liquid assets.

So how did Hefner build his iconic and controversial media empire? It all started with $8,000 and some naked photos of Marilyn Monroe.

Here's a look at the Playboy mogul's career:

SEE ALSO: 39 retro photos that reveal what it was like to be a flight attendant throughout the years

During World War II, the Chicago native served as an infantry clerk. He spent the war drawing cartoons for several military newspapers.

Source: NJ.com, Forces.net



According to NJ.com, his artistic skills — or lack thereof — earned him a rebuke from colleague and future Popeye cartoonist Hy Eisman, who told him that "he'd better have a job waiting for him after the war."

Source: NJ.com, Forces.net



Instead, Hefner went back to school. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 1949 and headed to Northwestern University to earn a graduate degree in sociology. He wrote a paper on laws pertaining to sex in the US, but left after a semester.

Source: HMH Foundation



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See what it was like to fly on the 'Big Bunny,' Hugh Hefner's customized Playboy jet

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big bunny jet party

In the second half of the 1960s, late Playboy founder Hugh Hefner purchased a customized plane called the "Big Bunny."

A stretch version of a DC-9, it had the capability to go anywhere in the world — and it did, taking Hefner and his celebrity clientele everywhere from Africa to Europe.

Estimated to cost about $5 million, it was outfitted with custom lighting and painted black, which was revolutionary for the time. He called his stewardesses "Jet Bunnies."

Though the famed plane was only used for six years, it certainly left behind a legacy of its own. 

With the help of Playboy Enterprises, we've put together a collection of photos that will take you through the famed jet's history, from its wild disco parties to its luxurious amenities.

Talia Avakian contributed reporting to an earlier version of this article.

SEE ALSO: The fabulous life of entertainment icon Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy

DON'T MISS: Go inside the infamous Playboy Mansion, Hugh Hefner's longtime $100 million home

Hefner purchased the plane when he was 43. He had the 119-foot plane custom-made for him after a 1966 trip to London. "I saw the future when I was in London: The sexual revolution was going on and the miniskirt had just arrived ... I decided then and there to get the jet," he said in a piece he wrote for the Wall Street Journal in 2010.

Source: Wall Street Journal



He had spotlights installed on the wing tips so that the iconic rabbit could be seen flying through the air at night. He also asked permission from the federal government to paint it black. "I designed the Big Bunny jet to stand out," he wrote in the WSJ. "Nobody had a black plane at the time. It was like The Ugly Duckling."

Source: Wall Street Journal



Hefner's Jet Bunnies had worked in the Playboy clubs in Chicago and Los Angeles and trained at Continental Airlines' stewardess school. Uniforms that were designed by Walter Holmes — with contributions from Hefner himself — included rabbit ears and tails, black boots, and white aviator scarves.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Obama, Bush, and Clinton reunited to help tee off the Presidents Cup — and the photos are great

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obama bush clinton presidents cup

Presidents Cup attendees in Jersey City on Thursday got a rare glimpse of three former US presidents at once. Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton were all present to help tee off the biennial golf tournament.

Each of the three presidents had presided over the tournament as honorary chairmen while they were still in office, according to NJ.com.

The Presidents Cup features a series of matches between American golfers and their international rivals.

Here are the photos from Thursday's event:

SEE ALSO: Michelle Obama says women who voted against Hillary Clinton 'voted against their own voice'

DON'T MISS: All 5 living former presidents are teaming up to raise money for hurricane victims

The presidents all sat together during the trophy presentation.



They chatted.



The crowd went wild for them — here's Obama waving to the attendees.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

There are only two kinds of kids you can raise, says one of America's most beloved authors and a mother of two

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Mom and Kids

"Our kids will be in therapy," Brene Brown half-jokes. She's a researcher studying shame and vulnerability; her husband is a pediatrician; together, they've got two children.

But even if their kids do wind up on the proverbial couch, Brown will hardly think she's failed as a parent.

On an episode of Lewis Howes' podcast, "The School of Greatness," Brown said there are only two types of kids you can raise: "kids who ask for help when they need it and kids who won't. And that's as good as it gets, to raise a kid who'll ask for help."

Brown's parenting philosophy reflects her overall life philosophy, one that she's explored in bestselling books and mega-hit TED Talks: Letting yourself be vulnerable is the bravest thing you can do, and the only way to truly be successful. So as a parent, the best strategy is to accept imperfection — in your kids and in yourself.

Brown herself has spent a lifetime struggling with the message her parents passed onto her: Emotional vulnerability is something to be avoided at all costs.

In her new book, "Braving the Wilderness," she shares a story about trying out for the high-school drill team; when she found out she hadn't made it, her parents were silent, clearly disappointed, and didn't even try to comfort her. That feeling of unworthiness stuck with her for years.

Since starting to study shame and vulnerability, Brown has hashed all of this out with her parents, she said. And while she's raising her kids differently, she knows now that her parents were doing their best raising their four kids.

On the podcast, Brown talked about giving yourself "permission" to make mistakes and to struggle as a parent.

That sounds like something psychologist Carl Pickhardt previously told Business Insider: Your goal as a parent shouldn't be to avoid repeating your parents' screw-ups. Instead, you should aim to emulate your parents' best qualities.

Though she didn't use the words specifically, compassion and forgiveness are key components of Brown's approach to parenting. If you can feel for your kids, for your parents, and for yourself, you'll have a better shot at healthier relationships.

Brown told Howes: "I believe that 99.9% of parents are truly waking up every day and doing the very best they can with what they have. I don't think there are a lot of parents who wake up and maliciously try to hurt their kids, or screw up their kids, or belittle or shame their kids. I think we're doing the best we can with what we have."

SEE ALSO: One of America's most beloved authors shares a simple strategy for overcoming adversity

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A family therapist says you are not 'responsible for your kids'


A day in the life of a Playboy bunny, and how the controversial job has changed over 60 years

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Playboy bunny

Bunnies have been a staple of the Playboy brand since it opened its first nightclub in 1960.

In the beginning, the bunnies were simply young women who worked as waitstaff in Playboy's clubs.

From 1960 to 1986, the brand ran 40 nightclubs, according to Atlas Obscura, as well as some intermittent casinos in England and the Bahamas. Prospective bunnies had to audition in order to get the job.

Since then, the term has expanded somewhat. It's even been applied to Hugh Hefner's girlfriends, who lived with him in the Playboy Mansion. Hefner ex-girlfriend Holly Madison's tell-all book is called "Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny." Make no mistake, though — models who appear in Playboy magazine itself are "playmates," not bunnies.

With that in mind, here's a look into the controversial history of the bunnies:

SEE ALSO: Here's who will most likely inherit Hugh Hefner's millions

The name comes from an unexpected source. As a University of Illinois student, Hefner would sometimes dine at Bunny's Tavern in Urbana, Illinois. Apparently, the name stuck with him.

Source: The Sun



Bunnies working at Playboy Clubs had to abide by some strict rules. They could be immediately fired for dating other employees or guests.

Source: Dangerous Minds



There was also a ban on drinking alcoholic beverages and gum chewing on the job.

Source: Dangerous Minds



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's why this wine costs $16,000 per bottle

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In addition to being a renowned power lunch spot, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House has been recognized for its impressive wine selection.

The Manhattan location does $8 million a year in wine sales alone, wine director Crystl Horton told Business Insider before she stepped carefully around the wine case-covered floor of the cellar to pull out a crown jewel: the 2009 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. It's listed on Del Frisco's wine list at $16,000 for the bottle.

Following is a transcript of the video.

Crystl Horton: So, we are looking at one of the most coveted wines in the world. This is Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Romanée-Conti. This is a 2009.

It is a tiny little monopole in Burgundy. So, it's pinot noir but it is on the list here — single bottle: $16,000.

Well, they're willing to spend it because of the pedigree of the wine. Because of the, sort of the history of the wine and the property, and also the fact that it's such a small production. I mean, for the world, there's just not enough of it, ever. 

And especially when you get into, now you're talking — this is a 2009. It's not the current vintage. 

So, even — more than half of this production has already been consumed. So, it just dwindles and dwindles and dwindles, until there's only a few left.

And, then the prices just exponentially go up.

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Teachers share 18 things parents should do to set their kids up for success

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mom parent kid helping homework

Children only spend half their waking hours in school during the academic year.

This means that much of the rearing is still done at home.

In fact, research from North Carolina State University, Brigham Young University, and the University of California, Irvine finds that parental involvement is a more significant factor in a child's academic success than the qualities of the school itself.

To find out just what parents can do at home to help their kids excel, we asked teachers everywhere to weigh in.

More than 40 teachers shared some great suggestions, and we included some of our favorites here:

SEE ALSO: Teachers share 23 things they'd love to tell their students but can't

SEE ALSO: Science says parents of successful kids have these 17 things in common

Read together

"Read to them, read with them, and have them read to you."

—Katie Westfield, a ninth- and 10th-grade history teacher in Boston

*Editor’s note: Encouraging good reading habits was the most popular response among the teachers we surveyed.



Have dinner together

"I think family meals are a time to catch up on each other's lives. When kids and parents can converse about what happened during the day, the good and the bad, I think parents are able to get the best insight into their children's lives. Constant communication is one of the many keys to success throughout life."

—A second-grade teacher in New York City



Be a good role model

"If you want them to read, be a reader first. If you want them to improve their writing skills, begin writing letters to your children. You want them to do well in math? Stop telling them you hate Math!"

—A fifth-grade teacher



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Google said it would build 10,000 units of desperately needed housing in Silicon Valley — but there's a catch (GOOG)

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google campus north bayshore

Google seems to be as much a real-estate developer as a search engine these days.

The tech giant wants to build a sprawling new campus in the North Bayshore area of Mountain View, a city in Silicon Valley that already hosts a majority of the company's properties.

But there's been a hiccup in Google's play for the development, which could include nearly 10,000 homes, 3.6 million square feet of office space, and a public park.

The Mercury News reports that Google is threatening to block the construction of 9,850 homes in North Bayshore — which the company said it still supports — unless city officials give it permission to build another 800,000 square feet of office space beyond its original proposal.

The Mountain View City Council found itself in a standoff with the company on Tuesday night. Google warned that it would drop housing from the project if it doesn't get its way.

Joe Van Belleghem, senior director of design and construction for the Bay Area at Google, reportedly told city officials, "Just to be clear: no new office; no new housing."

"That caught everybody by surprise," Mountain View Vice-Mayor Lenny Siegel told The Mercury News. "Forgetting the issue that Google has loads of cash, my view on that is that ... our North Bayshore plan shouldn't make the jobs-housing imbalance appreciably worse."

google campus north bayshore

The San Francisco Bay Area has too many workers and not enough dwellings to house them. This imbalance causes home prices and rent to climb sky-high. Google's critics say that adding even more office space without proportional housing would worsen the housing crisis.

In a statement, Google reiterated its support for the desperately needed housing.

"We are supportive of the preliminary approval of a North Bay Shore precise plan which includes 9,850 units of housing, 1,600 of which would be affordable," Belleghem said.

Siegel is optimistic that things will work out between Mountain View and Google.

"They have in general a high level of corporate responsibility and they'll come to their senses," Seigel told The Mercury News. "We are heavily dependent on them to do a lot of things we want to do, so they're trying to use that to get what they want."

The Mountain View City Council will vote in November on the final plan for North Bayshore.

SEE ALSO: The next hottest housing market in America is this San Francisco micro-hood that's so obscure, most residents have never heard of it

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NOW WATCH: Everything we know about Google's upcoming smartphone, the Pixel 2

Everyone is calling the new iPhone X the 'Ecks' even though Apple says it's pronounced '10' (AAPL)

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iPhone X Tim Cook

With a massive screen behind him displaying the text, "iPhone X" Tim Cook hopped on the stage at the Steve Jobs Theater during Apple's September 12 launch event and proclaimed, "This is the iPhone ten."

Apple consumers across the globe have been in a tizzy ever since, and not just over the souped-up phone, but over how on earth to pronounce its name. 

The "X" refers to the Roman numeral 10, not the letter of the alphabet, and is supposed to mark the ten-year anniversary of the release of the original iPhone. But the diction dictate from Apple and its mandarins does not appear to be getting through to the masses. 

Whether out of confusion, personal preference or mere stubbornness, many people, it seems, prefer to call the new iPhone the "Ecks," like the letter.

 The $999 iPhone X doesn't hit store shelves until November 3, but with a massive marketing machine and press cycle already swinging into action, the norms and customs that will define the new phone's identity are being established now.

With that in mind, we took to the streets of San Francisco to see if we could find out what the general public has decided to call Apple's new phone. 

More natural

Apple Store iPhoneOur first stop was at the Apple store in San Francisco's Union Square

The first customer we queried was browsing a display of phone cases, and quickly responded that the phone was called the "iPhone Ecks." He immediately started second guessing himself but eventually settled on his original pronunciation. The next shopper knew it was supposed to be pronounced as the number ten, but said using 'X' was much more natural. 

Early lunchers at a nearby park had a different perspective. An avid Apple user said she called it the ten, but thought it was funny Apple had decided to use the 'X' symbol in all the marketing. A man at a table nearby had watched Cook at the Apple event and called it ten ever since.

We decided to head to a few close-by wireless service provider retail stores to see what the people selling the phones and interacting with customers all day had to say. 

At the Verizon store, general manager Ryan Gish said, "Everyone's been calling it the ten. I've called it the 'X' a couple times but been corrected, I know it's supposed to be called the ten.”

Daniela Contreras, a T-Mobile sales representative, had a different interpretation, saying that all of her customers had been calling it the "X." She reasoned that since the X was the Roman numeral representing 10, it was supposed to be called the X. 

Snafu or masterstroke?

It's not the first time Apple has burdened its customers with uncertainty and angst over its product names. Before it changed to macOS, Apple called its desktop operating systems Mac OS X. The company eventually dropped the X to make its computer operating system more in line with iOS, watchOS, and tvOS products.

Whether the iPhone X name ends up being a clever marketing move or a branding snafu for future business school textbooks remains to be seen.

Apple StoreIf the Ecks pronunciation sticks, it could actually save Apple from another potential branding headache: Given that both the new iPhone 8 and iPhone 10 models are available this year, what will become of 9? Will Apple try to drum up excitment for an iPhone 9 next September, a year after the iPhone 10 came out? Or will an iPhone 9 never see the light of day, like a lost manuscript that gains mythical status over the years?

Ryan, an employee at a San Francisco AT&T store, had just gotten back from vacation and said he'd been the calling the new phone the "Ecks," until it had dawned on him that since all the other iPhones had been numbered, it made no sense that Apple would suddenly switch to letters. 

Brandon Iaacson, the manager at the AT&T store, acknowledged that the official pronunciation was ten. But he hadn't made a habit of correcting wayward customers.

"It's called the 10 but customers say Ecks," he explained, "and we just roll with it."

SEE ALSO: Here's everything Apple announced at its big iPhone launch event

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NOW WATCH: I spent a week using the iPhone 8 and I think you should wait for the iPhone X — here's why

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