This year, Maxim decided to have readers pick who will appear on the cover of its January/February issue. The idea garnered a lot of publicity, and reportedly, a lot of money, with close to $1.5 million raised. Aspiring model Olivia Burns was thrilled to win a readers “vote” in the Maxim’s Finest contest last fall, New York Post reports.
Not only did she get on the cover, but she got a $25,000 prize as well. Readers were allowed a single free vote daily, but beyond that, they were charged $1 per vote, with a $20 minimum, to cast their ballots. There was no limit to how many times a fan could vote, and each dollar spent counted as a single vote. Maxim said it would donate 25 percent of all the revenue raised to Home for Wounded Warriors.
In the end, Maxim donated $500,000 to the charity, meaning the contest grossed $2 million, with $1.5 million going to Maxim. The magazine, owned by Sardar Biglari, an Iranian-born investor who bought it four years ago through his Biglari Holdings, has formally struggled to make a profit, but started to make money after Biglari took it over.
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