Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner, 83, has revealed he almost died having sex once.

The octogenarian, who is currently dating Crystal Harris and twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon, choked on a sex toy while in bed with a group of his girlfriends, reports contactmusic.com.

"What is the closest I've come to death? There was a moment when I was having sex with four playmates and I almost swallowed a ball," he said.

The businessman is said to want to sell of his Playboy empire, despite posting solid numbers compared to other magazines.