Somewhere in the world, someone buys a Dennis Publishing magazine from a news stand every two seconds.

Which is probably why Felix Dennis’s £85 million publishing empire is doing pretty well.

The credit crunch has taken its toll but the publishing company – which employs 400 people in the UK – still managed a £13 million profit in 2008.

And it continues to expand, becoming one of the country’s biggest multi-media enterprises as it builds both its print and digital presence. Recent acquisitions included global entertainment portal Kontraband which it bought from Diffusion Media. The company has also acquired the rights to distribute US title Men’s Fitness in the UK and Ireland.

Meanwhile Felix Dennis continues his love of poetry writing, having completed a nationwide poetry tour.

The tour coincided with the launch of a book of the eccentric Warwickshire millionaire’s poetry. It’s his fifth book of poetry and has been described as his most personal and revealing yet. Fans of his poems include Mick Jagger, Stephen Fry, Tom Wolfe, Dawn French and Jon Snow to name but a few.

Sales of his UK magazines are doing well, particularly The Week, which is valued at least £150 million, but also his men’s fitness and motoring magazines, and of course Maxim.

Meanwhile his web-based magazines are taking off in a big way, with Monkey, his digital men’s magazine launched early in 2007, breaking all records. Digital magazines iMotor and iGizmo have had promising starts.

There’s plenty more good news for Felix Dennis, who first came to public attention in 1971 as one of three defendants in the Oz obscenity trials. He was famously cleared on appeal.

The Week continues to grow quickly breaking circulation records consistently, and is now the UK’s biggest selling subscriber news magazine. Its sister publication The Week in the US – which Felix Dennis shrewdly hung onto despite selling other US titles for £120 million in 2007 - also does well.

Aged 62, Felix Dennis – who lives on an estate in Warwickshire - is also keen on planting trees - he is working on the creation of the largest forest in England, dubbed the “Forest of Dennis”. Already more than 600,000 saplings have been planted over 1,000 acres and he plans to make it even bigger, with an eventual target of 20,000 acres.

His other interests, apart from being a dedicated smoker, include commissioning bronze sculpture.

He hosts charity events at his Warwickshire home and also owns property in Mustique, New York, London and Connecticut.