Cindy Margolis

Cindy Margolis

Cindy Margolis (born October 1, 1965) has been downloaded to fame, literally; she holds the 2000 Guinness Book of World Records award for the "most downloaded" person on the internet in 1999. This repeat Playboy and internet model claims, that though her pictures are sexy, she has never (in her professional career) appeared fully nude in any of her spreads. Though she is not just a model, she is also a champion for the cause of older women’s self-esteem, donates her time and money to several charities aimed at getting insurance companies to better cover the costs of fertility treatment for women, and an author, with her upcoming book entitled "The Girlfriend's Guide To Having A Baby," about conception and fertility treatments.

Early Life

Margolis was born in Los Angeles, California and is of Jewish heritage. Already a model by the time she entered California State University, Northridge, she became inspired by a business class that was dealing with the concept of business cards, to create her own: she made a card adorned with a picture of her dressed only in lingerie. She put her phone number on the cards, and her modeling career took off when an agent took note of one and asked about the beauty.

After he got in contact with her, she went onto model for advertising campaigns with Reebok, Vidal Sassoon, Coors, Hanes, and Sunkist.

In addition, among late night television viewers, she became known as an infomercial co-presenter for an array of products, from reputable ones (e.g. with Tony Robbins), to disreputable ones (e.g. Don Lapre's "tiny little ads"). Margolis also appeared briefly as one of Barker's Beauties, for Bob Barker, in 1995 on the game show “The Price Is Right.” In addition, she had a late night Saturday talk show in 2000 called “The Cindy Margolis Show” that was filmed in Miami Beach.

Though what really got Margolis noticed was her innovation in the early days of the Internet. She created her own website that posted provocative pictures of herself, and greatly rewarded for her efforts: she was named Yahoo! Internet Life magazine's "Queen of the Internet" from 1996 through 1999, she also holds the notable placing of being the 2000 Guinness Book of World Records "most downloaded" person of 1999, and Danni Ashe awarded her with the “most downloaded” woman as well, on December 5, 2000. During the peak of her popularity, she was downloaded 70,000 times in a span of 24 hours. Amazingly, her breasts have never been fully exposed on her website or in her numerous appearances in Playboy; however, in an interview on Howard Stern’s New York based radio program, he confronted her with nude pictures taken when she was 19, and later published in an issue of Hustler in 2001. She conceded that those pictures do exist and admitted that it was in fact her – she did them because she was young and needed the money.

In November of 2005, Margolis teamed up with the World Poker Tour to become the new hostess for Chipleaders.

Margolis stated in an April 2006 interview with The Washington Post, that she had recently posed fully nude for the December 2006 issue of Playboy magazine. She said that she finally wanted to pose nude because, at age 40, she still looks beautiful, and she wanted to be an inspiration to mothers and women her age: "It will be fun to go up against the 20-year-olds and show them that they don't have anything on me!" In an interview with "Extra" she said that the hit melodrama “Desperate Housewives” had been an inspiration for her as well, as it showed that mothers her age can also be fit and sexy. She was very proud to have posed, stating: “Me, of all people, the ultimate girl next door; the one who made it by not taking off her clothes. And now my crowning achievement is doing Playboy and being comfortable in my own skin.” And at the age of 40, it is something to be proud of.

In November of 2006, Margolis signed an exclusive poker representation agreement with Tropical Poker. By that time, Margolis had become a highly sought-after poker player and was brought in to represent Tropical Poker in the press, media interviews, poker events and appearances, as well as at the 2007 World Series of Poker.

On November 6, 2006, she appeared on the wrestling show WWE Monday Night RAW, helping WWE Diva Ashley Massaro pose for Playboy.

Margolis’s current projects include her self-produced VH-1 Special, “Cindy Margolis Inside Out,” which is being touted as an in-depth look into Margolis's career and personal life. Camera crews followed her around for three months and recorded every aspect of her life. She is also working with the award winning "Gang of 7" on her animated series "Cindy B.C." Cindy's character is touted as being a brilliant, sharp-witted and irresistibly sexy high priestess with a mission to save mankind. In addition, she has also been chosen as the new cover model for The 10th Muse comic book series, which has been optioned for a major motion picture.

In other honors, Margolis was named as one of E! Entertainment's "Ultimate Blondes" as well as one of VH'1's "Hottest 100." Margolis has been recognized by 2007's Creative Arts Emmy Awards, and she also presented three awards at the Emmy's in the area of Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Television.

With women comprising 39% of her fan base, Margolis also has added author to her growing resume, and is currently writing a book titled, The Girlfriend's Guide To Having A Baby ...When The Old Fashioned Way Isn't Working: it is a story of her struggle of tragedy and triumph with having her baby boy through the use of fertility treatments. She is also shooting a documentary of the same name with DreamWorks.

Personal Life

Margolis is married to restaurateur Guy Starkman, who is the heir to the chain, Jerry’s Deli, and also owns several nightclubs. Following fertility treatment, she gave birth to a son, Nicholas Isaac, in 2002 and twin daughters, Sabrina and Sierra, in 2005 via a surrogate mother.

She also made her way into the gossip blogs: TMZ recently posted a report of an altercation involving her husband, “Starkman, on a recent solo shopping spree at trendy L.A. boutique picked out $4000 worth of dresses for Margolis. A TMZ spy, who happened to be at the store, tells us that Starkman was tweaked about having to leave a credit card number for his purchases.” Though Margolis and Starkman’s representatives deny this story saying, “[Starkman] was not miffed or upset; he's a successful businessman and has no reason to be.”

Margolis’s website claims that she loves children and animals and does a lot of charity work for their causes as well as women issues.

Charity Work and Activism

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the December 2006 Playboy issues went to Resolve: a charity aimed to obtain insurance coverage for fertility treatment. Margolis told Playboy that she had been approached to pose nude since the age of 18, but felt empowered because of Playboy’s desire to have her model still, at the age of 40. Another portion went to her charity, the Cindy Margolis Get a Download of This Fertility Fund.