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by Rebecca Burn-Callander - Monday, 3rd March 2008

Raymond is credited with inventing the market for top shelf porn in the UK. Labelled the British Hugh Heffner, his publishing company puts out seven monthly adult magazines including Razzle, Escort and Men Only, though business has dwindled over the past few years, following heavy competition from rival lad mags like Zoo and Nuts. Turnover in 2004 was £19m, by 2006 the figure had dropped to £15m.

In the seventies, Raymond diversified into real estate. Most of his fortune is tied up in his property company, Soho Estates, which owns swathes of London’s Soho from Piccadilly down to Tottenham Court Road.

Raymond opened the first British strip club, the eponymous Revuebar, in 1957. Raymond successfully flouted anti-nudity laws in nightclubs by having topless girls stand perfectly still, whereby the act was classified as “art”. This was an iconic moment in the history of the sex industry and the club owner was even immortalised in the 2005 film Mrs Henderson Presents… starring Bob Hoskins and Dame Maggie Smith.

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