Playboy executive Dick Rosenzweig, 84, dies

Dick Rosenzweig has died. He was 84 years old.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the longtime playboy executive died of pancreatic cancer on 6 May, a family publicist said.

He is survived by his wife Judy, nephews Steven and Emmett and niece Debra.

After graduating from Northwestern University in 1957, a young Dick Rosenzweig began his career as an assistant to the vice president of advertising at Playboy in Chicago before becoming the first executive assistant to Hugh Hefner.

He went on to become senior VP and director of marketing, then executive VP of the publishing group, before he was given responsibility for all West Coast operations. He went on to launch various projects, become president of and executive produce of the Playboy Jazz Festival, as well as shows such as The Girls Next Door on E!, The Playboy Club on NBC and the 2008 film, The House Bunny.

According to the LA Times, Hugh Hefner called Dick a "trusted advisor and business partner" and the Playboy exec had an office at the mansion up until Hugh died in 2017.

Hugh Hefner's son and former chief creative officer of Playboy, Cooper Hefner, said in a statement: "There is so much that I admire and will miss that speaks on behalf of the wonderful person Dick was. It was seen in his unwavering loyalty to my father and his many years as an organisational lead at Playboy; it was present in his consistent engagement in various projects that served to improve his community and city; it was evident in his affinity for family. Like so many others, I am better as a result of having been a beneficiary of Dick's friendship, guidance and love."