Grumpy Cat owner quit her job as a waitress, but denies making $100 million
The owner of ongoing internet sensation of the grouchy-looking Grumpy Cat, quit her job as waitress to capitalize on her pet's meteoric rise to fame. However, a report of her having earned $100 million is refuted as "completely inaccurate."
Grumpy Cat, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, sprung onto the Internet meme scene back in 2012, after her owner's brother posted a photo of the then kitten on Reddit. Grumpy Cat's curmudgeonly expression inspired countless memes with captions like "I had fun once...it was terrible," and "Of all the nine lives I've lived, this is the worst."
Since then, Grumpy Cat has translated that Internet fame into stuffed animals, cat food endorsements, a New York Times bestseller book, and even a novelty coffee drink -- the Grumppuccino. The crabby looking feline has over 7 million Facebook fans and half a million followers on Instagram. Most recently, Grumpy Cat starred in the Lifetime movie, "Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever."
Over the weekend, a story for the Sunday Express stated Grumpy Cat, and presumably her owner, 28-year-old Arizona resident Tabatha Bundesen, has a $100 million fortune. The earnings mean the cat has made more than numerous Hollywood actors, including Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey, according to the article.
But Bundesen told The Huffington Post that figure is "completely inaccurate." She did not, however, clarify just how much Grumpy Cat has made. In a July story, Grumpy Cat's manager Ben Lashes told The Hollywood Reporter that he estimates his client has generated about $100 million in revenue.
"This is a seven-figure cat, for sure," he said.
"I was able to quit my job as a waitress within days of her first appearance on social media and the phone simply hasn't stopped ringing since," she told the Sunday Express.
Grumpy Cat diminutive size is caused by feline dwarfism and her trademark frown comes from an underbite.
