Bob Guccione, 79
The poor man's Hugh Hefner died Wednesday, Oct. 20th, at a hospital in Plano, Texas. He was 79.
Guccione lost much of his personal fortune on bad investments and risky ventures. Probably his best-known business failure was a $17.5-million investment in the 1979 production of the X-rated film "Caligula." Distributors shunned the film, with its graphic scenes of lesbianism and incest. However, it eventually became General Media's most popular DVD.
His management style even sparked a rift with his own son, Bob Guccione Jr. In 1985, the publisher helped his son launch the music magazine Spin, with Bob Jr. serving as editor and publisher. After just two years, the two clashed over the direction of the magazine and the elder Guccione decided to shut it down, forcing his son to secure outside funding. According to Axl Rose, the younger Guccione was also pissed because his dad got more pussy than him.