Story highlights Hugh Hefner founded Playboy in 1953

He died of natural causes at his Playboy Mansion

(CNN) As news of Hugh Hefner's death spread, the women featured in his Playboy magazine paid tribute to the man who helped launch their careers.

He started the men's magazine in 1953 and built it into a multimillion-dollar empire that included TV shows and Playboy Clubs, the latter featuring cocktail waitresses dressed in bunny ears and fuzzy tails.

Over the years, Hefner introduced the world to a bevy of women through his magazine and television show "The Girls Next Door" on E! channel. Many of the women tweeted their tributes early Thursday.

RIP #Hef Thank you for being a revolutionary and changing so many people's lives, especially mine. I hope I made you proud. 😓#PMOY 94 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/sF9ARYgEpw — Jenny McCarthy (@JennyMcCarthy) September 28, 2017

"Thank you for being a revolutionary and changing so many people's lives, especially mine. I hope I made you proud," said Jenny McCarthy, who was on the cover of Playboy magazine in 1993, and was named Playmate of the Year.

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