Playboy Plays Hardball: Demands $800K from Miami Beach for HQ Move

Playboy Enterprises International, led by CEO Ben Kohn, recently announced their plans to trade Beverly Hills for the Magic City by moving their headquarters to Miami Beach. However, it seems the once-iconic brand is not satisfied with just making the move.

According to the South Florida Business Journal, Playboy is now requesting $800,000 in incentives from the city of Miami Beach. The company has even threatened to pull out of their lease for the 20,000-square-foot penthouse floor at Robert Rivani's Rivani office building at 1691 Washington Avenue if the city commission does not approve their request.

The South Florida Business Journal referenced the lease agreement with Rivani, which was recently filed along with Playboy's quarterly earnings report. The incentive is reportedly for the company's planned renovations of the space.

While the move to Miami Beach was initially seen as a win for the city, Playboy's demands for incentives suggest otherwise. It raises questions about the true motivations behind the move and the potential for soft corruption in the decision-making process.

As one industry insider commented, "It's not uncommon for companies to seek incentives when moving to a new location, but it's rare for a company to make such demands after already signing a lease agreement."

The city commission is set to vote on Playboy's request for incentives, and it remains to be seen if they will approve the additional funds. But with the threat of Playboy potentially pulling out of their lease, it seems the iconic brand is playing hardball to get what they want.

Originally reported by