How do you know when you’ve officially made it as a “playboy?” Do playboys put “playboy” down on admin forms when asked to list their occupation? How do they get there, and how do they stay there without burning out or dying?
For now, definitive answers to these questions remain beyond us. What we do know for sure is that when it comes to Miami, playboys don’t get much bigger than Anwar Zayden.
The tangible details of Zayden’s resumé are scant. A brief stint on Miami Vice. An underwear modeling career for Calvin Klein. Yet through sheer charisma, Anwar was able to reach a level of renown that shocked even the most esteemed stars in the coastal party city.
“Sometimes people ask me if I am from Miami, and I always answer the same question: ‘I am Miami,’” Anwar told VICE back in 2019.
By day, Anwar was to be found (occasionally) at his interior design shop in town. As his reputation soared, Anwar received opportunities to decorate the homes of Gianni Versace, Sylvester Stallone, and the Bee Gees, among others. Whether these chances arose through visionary design nous or sheer vibes is not for us to say.
Also known as the “Most Miami Man in Miami” and “Miami’s Most Legendary Playboy,” Anwar took the opportunity to show VICE around his ocean-side mansion in the 2019 documentary.
“What I believe changes a house to a home is to have all these little memories,” he said, as he showcased the photos covering the walls of his mansion. “It is not really a home if it doesn’t tell a story.
“My career brought me to meet major people in Miami,” he said, pointing out pictures of him with the Hilton sisters and Rod Stewart.
The playboy led the way to his bedroom with pride, as the camera panned out to show a large room with a regal aesthetic: full-length mirrors with golden frames, crimson bedding, and even a safe guarding “pictures with royalty.”
“If these walls can talk and can actually tell you the things that happen in this room…” he said, trailing off into revery. When asked how many girls he’d slept with in the bedroom, he replied, “It’s gonna make me look like a playboy. I’m really not. I can only deal with one at a time.”
Seemingly contradicting his previous point, he then went on to talk about a jacuzzi he created in his bedroom — which could fit 10 people.
“I put a shower head [so] they can shower five girls at a time.”
The mansion tour ended with a stunning view of a large underground pool surrounded by lounge chairs, palm trees, and even a tank that’s usually “full with lobsters.”
“I don’t know how anybody can live anywhere else,” Anwar said.
VICE then got an inside look at a day in the life on one of Anwar’s yachts, which featured multiple girls.
When asked why he thinks women are so attracted to him, he stated, “Girls like to be around me because I protect them.”
Of course, this protection mostly came in the form of financial security.
“You know what they give in return?” he asked. “They give their youth … Who’s using who?
“I’m almost 60,” he continued. “I do things that no 20-year-old that I know can do.”
He then listed his hobbies – which included rodeo riding, motocross, boxing, extreme diving, and Muay Thai.
“I do everything, so if you see me like an old man, think about it again,” he warned us. “Miami is my home. Every single era Miami went through, I lived it. I built this city, and this city was built for me.”
Anwar passed away in 2020, allegedly after suffering a coke overdose while with two escorts. Still, his legacy remains.