This maverick publishing legend and poet founded Dennis Publishing in 1974 and was the first person to say the word “cunt” on live British television in 1970 on David Frost’s The Frost Programme. Born in Kingston-upon-Thames, Felix Dennis was jailed but subsequently acquitted in a trial relating to a sexually explicit Rupert the Bear cartoon strip during his time working at the OZ underground magazine and went on to create great titles such as Maxim and The Week. He planted over 1,000,000 native saplings in his attempt to establish a large native forest in Warwickshire and owned one of the largest collections of original bronze sculptures. Dennis – who was said to be worth in excess of £750 million – famously once spelt Che Guevara’s name wrong and once stated: “Making money is certainly the one addiction I cannot shake”. He is to be “buried in a linen wrap in a cardboard coffin in [his] forest with an oak tree planted on [his] head”.
A wonderful man.