Marilyn Monroe's 'Playboy' appearance is the most famous by a landslide. Not only was it the publication's inaugural issue, but it also took advantage of Marilyn's current fame at the time.
Hugh Hefner's Playboy brand would take off thanks to Marilyn's images. And fans already know that Marilyn was on her way up. Though her rise to fame was cut tragically short, Marilyn's career didn't seem to be hurt by her appearance in the magazine.
And while in life, some say Marilyn developed a friendship with Hugh Hefner, he didn't seem content to let her rest in peace after her passing. Yet her legacy continues to live on, albeit a bit marred by her later troubles, and fans are still intrigued by her lifestyle to this day.
While she was all glitz and glamor in the public view, however, Marilyn's career beginnings were rocky. And in fact, 'Playboy' wasn't a gig that paid very well.
How Much Did Marilyn Monroe Earn From 'Playboy'?
The short answer is that Marilyn Monroe earned literally nothing from 'Playboy' for her pictures. While she did pose for the photos a few years prior, by the time Hugh Hefner purchased them, Marilyn had no creative control over the photographs at all.
In fact, the original images had been sold to a company that made calendars. Then, Hugh wound up buying them after learning about (and arguably, becoming infatuated with) Marilyn.
Hugh Hefner paid $500 for Marilyn Monroe's photographs. But how much did the starlet herself receive for them? Not nearly as much.
Marilyn Monroe Was Paid $50 For The 'Playboy' Photos
As it turns out, Marilyn posed for the iconic 'Playboy' photographs (though that's not what they were at the time) for a mere $50. While she did pose for the pics in 1949, meaning the value of that cash today would be somewhere around $570, it's definitely not a fair price for images that could have ruined her career.
Fortunately for Marilyn, the photographs didn't harm her career. But she previously admitted that she simply needed the money at the time. Photographer Tom Kelley paid the model and would-be actress fifty dollars for the images, and the company Western Lithograph Company later bought the photos.
Of course, fans know that this initial business "oops" didn't harm Marilyn's rise to fame. Though she would later be fired from projects like 'Something's Got to Give,' she did complete many other lucrative projects in her day.
Though 'Playboy' became a significant credit on her resume, it didn't pigeonhole Marilyn into a specific type of project and turned out to be a decent boost in her industry. If only she could have lived a longer life and accomplished more of what she set out to.