She first appeared in a photo posted to reddit in September of 2012. The tiny genetically-disadvantaged cat who became known as Grumpy Cat was shared by, well, everyone on the internet, which led to bigger things, like a job advertising Friskies cat food and a made-for-TV movie. So how much money has this little cat pulled in?
Those numerous endorsements and personal appearances have generated about $100 million in revenue, some of which went to Grumpy Cat’s lucky benefactor, 28-year-old Tabatha Bundesen from Morristown, Arizona, whose brother posted the first picture on Reddit. Bundesen was working as a waitress when Grumpy Cat went viral. She tells Express, “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.”
We will probably never know the extent of Grumpy Cat’s influence on how many people have adopted non-standard cats, but that’s a legacy worth applauding. Read a rundown of Grumpy Cat’s accomplishments at Uproxx.