# Playboy Mansion - who pays? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 21, 2010, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454 "2010-07-21T12:13:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Flan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/90db22/32.png) [@Flan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/1 "2010-07-21T12:13:39Z")
Who picks up the tab for the Playboy Mansion and it’s non-stop parties? Does Hugh Hefner personally pay, or do shareholders of the publicly-traded company? ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/2 "2010-07-21T12:36:29Z")
> [@Flan](#): > > Who picks up the tab for the Playboy Mansion and it’s non-stop parties? > > Does Hugh Hefner personally pay, or do shareholders of the publicly-traded company? Depends on who is hosting the party. I have been to several there and the guests pay to be there; they are sponsored by corporate entities and many people (guys) pay memberships to belong to those “clubs” which sponsor the parties. Many of the girls who are there – obviously – do not pay to attend but they do have to pass muster (submit their statistics and photographs) to the “clubs” to get in. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/3 "2010-07-21T13:16:23Z")
Who pays? Hugh pays. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/4 "2010-07-21T13:50:49Z")
There are parties and there are Official Playboy-sponsored to be photographed for the magazine parties. The latter would be a legitimate business expense. I doubt that those happen more than once or twice a year, though. And they wouldn’t be any different from events thrown by virtually every large business in the country that are also legitimately treated as business expenditures. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/5 "2010-07-21T15:50:24Z")
> [@](#): > > There are parties and there are Official Playboy-sponsored to be photographed for the magazine parties. The latter would be a legitimate business expense. I doubt that those happen more than once or twice a year, though. And they wouldn’t be any different from events thrown by virtually every large business in the country that are also legitimately treated as business expenditures. I think they’re more common than that. Pretty much every issue of the magazine has pictures from recent parties. I think they even have a page called “News From The Mansion” or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/6 "2010-07-21T16:13:41Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > Depends on who is hosting the party. I have been to several there and the guests pay to be there; they are sponsored by corporate entities and many people (guys) pay memberships to belong to those “clubs” which sponsor the parties. Many of the girls who are there – obviously – do not pay to attend but they do have to pass muster (submit their statistics and photographs) to the “clubs” to get in. I’ve been to a party there. It was part of a business group, and we all paid about $500. It was well worth it. And I state that as a fact, in GQ. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/7 "2010-07-21T18:34:49Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’ve been to a party there. It was part of a business group, and we all paid about $500. It was well worth it. And I state that as a fact, in GQ. 😃 Me too - 'cept I’m a girl and I didn’t pay…😉 ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/8 "2010-07-21T18:37:43Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’ve been to a party there. It was part of a business group, and we all paid about $500. It was well worth it. And I state that as a fact, in GQ. 😃 OK, stipulating that the reply will be annecdotal, tell us why it was well worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/9 "2010-07-21T19:43:48Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > OK, stipulating that the reply will be annecdotal, tell us why it was well worth it. From what I have WITNESSED at the Playboy parties (read: Not Participated In) - it is cheaper for guys to spend $500 to attend one of those gatherings than it would be to buy a prostitute - and it includes alcohol. The parties tend to have freely accessible, constantly flowing alcohol and sexually uninhibited persons available for practically whatever is desired (especially in the Grotto). ---
**Author:** ![Flan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/90db22/32.png) [@Flan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/10 "2010-07-22T18:54:13Z")
I didn’t realize guys paid $500 or so to get into the Mansion. The place may even turn a profit at that rate. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/11 "2010-07-22T19:01:04Z")
> [@Flan](#): > > I didn’t realize guys paid $500 or so to get into the Mansion. > > The place may even turn a profit at that rate. And the Halloween party is $1,000 a person. And it is packed. Besides that, there are some who pay for “premium service” (like not having to be bussed in with the rest of the hoi polloi). I believe to get there a little earlier via limo and have some private time in a secluded part of the mansion, one pays $5k, possibly more. ---
**Author:** ![DoperChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@DoperChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoperChic)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/12 "2010-07-23T00:52:46Z")
[slight hijack] Has anyone read Kendra Wilkinson’s new book? She was one of the trio of girlfriends featured on the TV show Girls Next Door. It was a pretty good read but sadly didn’t reveal a whole lot about the parties. [slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/13 "2010-07-23T01:25:23Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > Depends on who is hosting the party. I have been to several there and the guests pay to be there; they are sponsored by corporate entities and many people (guys) pay memberships to belong to those “clubs” which sponsor the parties. Many of the girls who are there – obviously – do not pay to attend but they do have to pass muster (submit their statistics and photographs) to the “clubs” to get in. > [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > Me too - 'cept I’m a girl and I didn’t pay…😉 So where are _your_ pics at? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/14 "2010-07-23T01:42:41Z")
> [@Flan](#): > > Does Hugh Hefner personally pay, or do shareholders of the publicly-traded company? Hefner is trying to buy all outstanding shares to [take the company private.](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/business/media/13playboy.html?src=busln) ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/15 "2010-07-23T05:39:33Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > So where are _your_ pics at? 😉 There aren’t any, actually… I was on the board of directors of one of those corporate entities which sponsored the parties. 🆒 But I still dressed appropriately for the shindigs and turned a few heads despite my advancing years. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/16 "2010-07-23T06:10:15Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’ve been to a party there. It was part of a business group, and we all paid about $500. It was well worth it. And I state that as a fact, in GQ. 😃 Dang! I was going to crack a joke about a $20 cover charge and a three drink minimum. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playboy-mansion-who-pays/547454/17 "2010-07-25T04:53:26Z")
Is it like it was represented on Fresh Prince: only men and women in a certain league can get in?