Christie Hefner was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1952, to Millie Williams and Hugh Hefner.
Her parents had separated by the time she was two. When her mother remarried she and her brother moved to Wilmette, Illinois. There she grew up in the suburbs and graduated from New Trier High School.
Although she had high math SATs, she became an English major in college. In her junior year she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and went on to graduate summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and American literature in 1974. She became a President's Councilor of her alma mater in 1978.
While in college she worked as an assistant Bunny Mother, the bunnies' teacher, disciplinarian, mentor and protector.
After college she wanted to pursue journalism or law, but started working at Playboy as an intermediate step. After being with the company for 5 years and moving up to the position of Vice President, she applied to the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program. She was turned down because she was too young.
She is currently Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Playboy Enterprises, Inc. and has lectured at the Harvard Business School several times.
She created the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award in honor of her father.
She married former Illinois state senator William A. Marovitz, real estate developer and attorney.
