High Times Magazine Worth as Much as Washington Post Was When Jeff Bezos Bought It

High Times is preparing to go public later this year with a valuation of $250 million — the same amount Jeff Bezos paid for the Washington Post in 2013.

There’s no guessing whether the Post has gone up or down in value since 2013, but it may well have climbed given its skyrocketing web traffic and subscription growth since Donald Trump became president. High Times focuses on a different type of hard — or smooth — hitting journalism, but could also get higher. In terms of value, we mean.

High Times CEO Adam Levin acquired the business earlier this year, when his Oreva Capital paid $70 million for the marijuana mag’s parent company. Last month, High Times entered into an agreement to merge with publicly traded special purpose acquisition company Origo Acquisition Corp. in a move that would take the magazine public — and that values its existing equity at $250 million.

Also Read: High Times Expands Weed Content, Opening LA Office (Exclusive)

It’s not a traditional IPO — Origo is essentially a public “shell” that will house High Times — but the effect is the same: marijuana enthusiasts or others who just see plenty of green in the cannabis industry can buy stock in their favorite ganja gazette.

While High Times may be associated with a decidedly analog countercultural vibe, the outlet has become a budding player in the new media world. The publication, which relocated to Los Angeles from New York last year, owns 420.com, hightimes.com and cannabiscup.com and has built properties around them.

The company is also launching a podcast network filled with comedians and industry experts, covering cultivation, finance and everything in between. About 70 percent of High Times’ users connect with the company via mobile devices, giving it a younger demographic than the aging hippies who started reading it when it launched in 1974. The outlet also generates the majority of its revenue from live events.

Also Read: High Times Trolling J-School Job Boards for Entry-Level Writer

In a release issued when the Origo merger was announced, High Times laid out a growth strategy including leveraging its brand through licensing opportunities, expanding its events business and using its digital presence to drive e-commerce and data collection. The company is also open to pursuing acquisitions — but don’t expect it to drop $13.7 billion on Whole Foods, like Bezos’ Amazon did. That’s too much green even for High Times.

All 35 of People's Sexiest Man Alive Cover Choices, From Mel Gibson to Michael B Jordan (Photos)

Mel Gibson was just 29 when he was named People's first Sexiest Man Alive in February 1985.
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"St. Elsewhere" star Mark Harmon, then 34, became the magazine's second choice.
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"L.A. Law" star Harry Hamlin was 35 when he was named.
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Political scion John F. Kennedy Jr., then 27, was named Sexiest Man Alive in 1988.
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At 59, Sean Connery became the oldest Sexiest Man Alive when he was chosen in 1989.
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Tom Cruise, 28, had just opened "Days of Thunder" when he was selected in 1990.
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"Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost" star Patrick Swayze was 38 when he was tapped.
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In 1992, 51-year-old Nick Nolte followed up his performances in "The Prince of Tides" and "Cape Fear" with the Sexiest Man Alive title.
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In a departure from tradition, the magazine in 1993 named Richard Gere and model Cindy Crawford as Sexiest Couple Alive.
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After skipping the franchise in 1994, People returned the following year by naming 31-year-old "Legends of the Fall" star Brad Pitt as Sexiest Man Alive.
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Denzel Washington, 41, became the first non-white star named as Sexiest Man Alive in 1996.
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George Clooney, then 36, had just starred in "Batman & Robin" when he was chosen in 1997.
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"Star Wars" and "Witness" star Harrison Ford was 56 when he was selected in 1998.
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In 1999, Richard Gere landed a solo cover at age 50.
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Brad Pitt was chosen for a second time in 2000.
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Pierce Brosnan was 48 and then the reigning James Bond when he was named in 2001.
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Oscar winner Ben Affleck was 30 when he was selected in 2002.

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"Pirates of the Caribbean" star Johnny Depp, 40, took the honor in 2003.

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Jude Law was at the height of his ubiquity when the then-31-year-old Brit was selected in 2004.

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Matthew McConaughey was actually in a box office slump ("Two for the Money," "Sahara") when he was chosen in 2005.

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At 45, George Clooney claimed his second "Sexiest Man Alive" title in 2006.

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After being teased by his "Ocean's" co-stars about the perpetual snub, 37-year-old Matt Damon finally landed the cover in 2007.

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"Wolverine" star Hugh Jackman, 40, claimed the honor in 2008.

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At 46, Johnny Depp pulled off a two-peat in 2009 just after starring in "Public Enemies."

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Ryan Reynolds, 34, was named in 2010 hot off the rom-com hit "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock.

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"The Hangover" star Bradley Cooper, 36, was a year away from his first Oscar nomination for "Silver Linings Playbook" when he was selected in 2011.

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Channing Tatum, 32, capped his break-out hits "21 Jump Street" and "Magic Mike" in 2012 by claiming the Sexiest Man Alive crown.

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In 2013, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, 34, became the first music star to be named Sexiest Man Alive.

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"Thor" star Chris Hemsworth, then 31, wielded the sexiest hammer in 2014.

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Forty-year-old soccer star David Beckham became the first pro athlete chosen in 2015.

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Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson became only the second star of color to be given the title in 2016.
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Blake Shelton, the country star and longtime judge on "The Voice," was named in 2017.
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Idris Elba, the British actor who rose to fame on TV series like "The Wire" and "Luther" and later in films like "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" and the "Thor" franchise, was selected in 2018.
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In 2019, multi-talented John Legend became only the fourth person of color to be named People's Sexiest Man Alive, following in the footsteps of Denzel Washington, Dwayne Johnson, and Idris Elba.
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Actor-Producer Michael B. Jordan was named People's Sexiest Man Alive for 2020. The "Creed" and "Black Panther" star follows Denzel Washington, Dwayne Johnson, Idris Elba and last year's winner John Legend to become the fifth person of color to hold the title.