Chapter 139 - 140 Playboy Magazine Stock Price Soar

Words : 1468 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 139: Chapter 140 Playboy Magazine Stock Price Soar The newsstand owner smiled and said, "This is not a beautiful picture, it’s a magazine. There are not only the cover photos but also many more inside. I just flipped through it. After reading it, it made me full of passion, and I want to go back to find my wife." The newsstand owner took the magazine down, but did not give it to them. Instead, he took it in his hand and flipped it gently. The two young men were completely attracted by the beauties inside. Just when they were in high spirits, the newsstand owner suddenly closed the book and took it back. "why don’t you turn the pages?" "This is for sale. If you read it all, who would buy it?" They thought he was stingy. One asked, "How much?" "$3." They were stunned. "What? How much?" "$3 per copy," the owner repeated. "$3? Are you robbing us? A magazine for $3?" one exclaimed. The owner shrugged, "I didn’t set the price; the publisher did. Look." He showed them the back cover price: $3. "That’s outrageous! Ordinary magazines are about 30 cents. This is ten times more." "I think the publisher is crazy." The owner sighed, "I thought it was expensive too. I’ve sold newspapers and magazines for over ten years, and this is the priciest I’ve seen." "But it’s also the best made magazine I’ve seen. Look at the glossy paper, it’s much more expensive than regular paper. The photos are exquisite and numerous. The printing cost must be high, so the price is justified. Keep it well, and it will be valuable in the future." The young men left, but soon stopped. "Biden, I think we should buy it." "Yes, Trump, I’m tempted too." "Let’s pool our money and buy one." "Okay, you take it on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and I’ll take it on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays." They rushed back to the newsstand, pooled $3, and bought a copy of Playboy, carefully tucking it into their clothes as they headed to school. In New York, a middle aged man in a suit entered a bookstore. He often visited this store. Upon entering, he was immediately drawn to the cover of Playboy at the magazine rack, featuring Hedy Lamarr, a Hollywood star once called one of the century’s most beautiful women. The man had seen her films and even owned a photo book of her. Seeing her on the magazine cover, he picked it up. Expecting only a cover photo, he found the interior even more stunning, with dozens of Hedy Lamarr’s sexy photos and other beautiful women. He bought the magazine. "$3," the owner said, surprising the man who confirmed the price on the back cover. He thought it was expensive but still paid. Across major U.S. cities, countless people were attracted to Playboy. Despite its high price, many bought it. The post war U.S. had about 50,000 millionaires and millions of middle class families earning over $10,000 annually. The value of an item varies, but when deemed worth owning, people will pay the price. People who bought Playboy showed it to friends and classmates, spreading its popularity, leading to quick sell outs. Sales feedback surprised Hefner, who was used to his previous magazine selling a few thousand copies at best, sometimes only hundreds. Now, 50,000 copies sold quickly, despite the high price. "Good heavens, 50,000 copies sold out in just few days," Hefner exclaimed, calling Hardy to share the good news, excitedly stating that Playboy was a success, with many booksellers requesting reprints. New York, America’s largest city with over 3 million people, sold only 7,000 copies; Los Angeles, with over a million people, sold 5,000 copies. Hardy was aware that Reader’s Digest had an impressive circulation of 9 million copies per issue, sometimes reaching as high as 30 million, whereas Playboy’s best sales were expected to top out at 7 million copies. So, the potential market was huge, depending on people’s preferences. "Print another 50,000 copies," Hardy ordered. "Playboy" is not just loved by young people; middle aged and elderly people like it too. Beautiful women are something that appeals to all men over the age of 14. Married or unmarried, it doesn’t matter. As the magazine sells like hotcakes, there is another thing that makes Hardy even happier. Andy came to report to him that due to the magazine’s booming sales, Playboy’s stock price began to soar, rising from $1.5 to $5, and the upward trend hasn’t stopped yet. The first Volume of the magazine sold 50,000 copies. This news couldn’t be kept secret. Many people, upon hearing this news, rushed to the stock market to buy Playboy stock. The reason is simple. A simple calculation shows. Playboy is a monthly magazine, published once a month. If each issue sells 100,000 copies, the sales would be $3 million, and the annual profit should be around $1 million. An annual profit of a million dollars is an enviable figure for countless businesses. Even large enterprises might not achieve this. The television factory that Hardy and Michael previously invested over $2 million in to establish, producing 40,000 TVs annually, is considered a large enterprise, with a profit of only $1.08 million, which is not as profitable as a magazine. From this, it can be seen that Playboy’s stock is far more valuable than its current price, so in the past few days, the stock price has been soaring wildly. Hardy owns 75% of the magazine’s non trad-able shares, and 74% of the trad-able shares, with a total stock ownership of over 90%. He acquired the stock at $0.04 per share. Now the value has increased 125 times. And people believe this is not the true value of Playboy yet. The first issue sold 100,000 copies, and future sales are bound to continue growing. What if each issue sells 200,000 copies? The profit would be $2 million. What about 1 million copies? The net profit could reach $10 million. Heaven! An annual net profit of $10 million is an amount that would drive countless people crazy. While Playboy is selling hot, it has also attracted social attention. It is the first adult magazine to date, with a significant impact on many people, especially some conservatives. Many articles criticizing Playboy have appeared in newspapers, with some saying the magazine is pornographic and should be banned. Others say that Playboy magazine is full of insults to women, reducing women to playthings, which is extremely immoral. After seeing these reports, Hefner hurriedly took the newspapers to Hardy to report. The two chatted in the office for two hours, and Hefner left Hardy’s office full of confidence. The next day. The New York Times published an article by Playboy’s editor Hefner. ’Playboy is not a pornographic magazine. First, there are no fully nude photos in the magazine, and the content is entirely within the bounds of American law. These photos are art. Are the nude works of great painters also considered pornographic?’ There is no issue of insulting women. instead, it showcases the beauty of women, their pursuit of freedom, and rebellious spirit. Why was Miss Hedy Lamarr chosen for the first issue? Because Miss Hedy Lamarr represents ’female beauty, the pursuit of freedom, and a rebellious spirit.’ No one doubts her beauty. She endured hardships to escape her marriage and came to America to pursue freedom She is exceptionally intelligent, researching advanced electronic science and receiving accolades from the Academy of Sciences. Miss Hedy Lamarr is a true modern woman and a representative of the rebellious spirit. Such a woman is definitely worth promoting. Sexy is not lascivious. It is the pursuit of beauty, and Playboy’s articles also explore topics like art, philosophy, and music, without a trace of vulgarity. Playboy reflects the very serious needs and desires of people. The pursuit of freedom is one of the foundational theories of this country. Beautiful photos are art and elegance. If you think it’s pornographic, it’s your dirty mind. This article immediately attracted more attacks from conservatives, who published articles in newspapers either criticizing or cursing. Seeing these articles, Hefner just smiled lightly. When he first saw the criticisms, he was a bit worried, but after the boss’s guidance, he was no longer concerned about these people. If you write articles criticizing me, I will also publish articles stating my position. Let’s abide by the law. America has freedom of speech. We support women gaining greater independence and rights. We support the liberation of thought. From these points, in this country, we can always stand undefeated and even pose as righteous defenders of the people’s future.

Chapter 139 - 140 Playboy Magazine Stock Price Soar

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