UK Porn baron Raymond dies aged 82
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7275177.stm

Porn baron and property magnate Paul Raymond has died, the Paul Raymond Organisation said.
Mr Raymond, 82, was the son of a Liverpool lorry driver who founded a pornographic empire, including magazines such as Mayfair.

He was once dubbed the King of Soho and in 1958 opened the only premises in the UK to stage live striptease shows.

Mr Raymond acquired property in London's West End in the 1970s and was thought to be worth £650m when he died.

His big break came after he side-stepped censorship laws that disallowed naked women from moving on stage by having the topless women stand completely still.

Britain's Hugh Hefner

In 1958 Mr Raymond also managed to exploit another loophole that exempted private clubs from censorship laws and opened the Raymond Revuebar strip club in Soho, London.

The club was an instant success and the membership fees made Mr Raymond extremely wealthy.

By 1965 he was on his way to becoming a millionaire and he became known as the British equivalent of Hugh Hefner, the American founder of Playboy.

But in later years competition to his porn empire from so-called "lads mags" stifled his fortunes.

In 1992 Mr Raymond's daughter Debbie died from an accidental overdose and he became increasingly reclusive.

wow that sucks - I know he was big in the UK, I saw his club in London, never went inside though looked like it was closed

rip

Sad, i used to work for this guy many years ago
Rest in Peace :Oh crap

RIP, know a coupl of people from Paul Raymond publications..

I used to work in the music business in Soho and walked by the Revue Bar every day... it was there so long it was an institution.

Rip Paul.. Its such a old name and I can always remember his glossy ads in the porn mags and wanted to go and visit his Revue bar..But I never did :(

82, not a bad innings.....

rich mofo

It's okay, he was rich, he could afford to die.