From Divinity School to Reinventing Playboy

Phillip Picardi came out at 14, fell in love with magazines, and spent the next two decades reshaping some of the most important media brands in America. Now as Chief Brand Officer and Editor in Chief of Playboy, he's doing the most ambitious work of his career: bringing a cultural icon back to the thing it has always done better than anyone.

From Teen Vogue to Playboy: Phillip made Teen Vogue one of the fastest growing publications at Conde Nast, founded them, the company's first LGBTQ brand, edited Out magazine, attended Harvard Divinity School, and navigated Weight Watchers through Chapter 11. Every chapter built the next one. 🚀

The First Sold-Out Issue of His Career: The first print issue Phillip produced at Playboy sold out. Karol G on the cover, photographed by Gray Sorrenti, styled by Katie Grand. He has worked in media for 15 years and it was his first time. 📖

A Brand Brought Back, Not Reinvented: Phillip spent three weeks in the Playboy archives before changing a single thing. His philosophy is simple: you cannot know where you are going unless you know where you have been. 🏛️

The Male Loneliness Epidemic: Phillip believes Playboy is uniquely positioned for this cultural moment. A Gen Z sex recession, fraught gender relations, and a generation that needs permission to come together. That is the brief he is writing against. 🌍

No Job Is Too Small: Phillip's first job was at McDonald's, where his dad forged his signature on child labor paperwork. The lesson he still carries: if you have time to lean, you have time to clean. It is the trait he hires for above everything else. ☕