Forget Chewbacca Mom's $400,000: Meet 5 wildly successful viral pets
Candace Payne, or as you likely know her, Chewbacca Mom, has cashed in on what began as a Facebook Live video and has since become a meme that is all but permanently seared onto our brains.
Payne has reportedly pulled in $420,000 in perks since a clip of her wearing a Chewbacca mask blew up on the Internet. TMZ reports that she's even charging for autographs, which...fine.
But Payne is hardly the first to profit from Internet stardom. In fact, it's really web-famous animals who have found lucrative careers in online fame.
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1. Lil Bub
In 2015, GOBankingRates estimated that Lil Bub's owner Mike Bridavsky earns $30,000 a year in YouTube royalties, thanks to his sweet permakitten's mass appeal. And at Lil Bub's online store, the wide selection of merchandise ranges from a $10 children's shirt to a $150 oil painting of Bub wearing sunglasses. Bridavsky has not publicly stated the amount he and Bub earn, but a 2014 Spin profile says the cat rescued him from debt.
2. Grumpy Cat
In 2014, Express estimated that Grumpy earned owner Tabatha Bundesen a whopping $100 million, a number that Bundesen has since declared "completely inaccurate." She set the record straight in a statement to the Huffington Post days after the initial report, but has yet to share Grumpy's true net worth.
What we do know: The cat starred in its own Lifetime movie alongside Aubrey Plaza, and once had a line of bottled iced coffee in addition to an extensive line of merchandise.
3. Jiff the Pomeranian
Jiff is more than just a world-record breaking pom-- he once held the record for fastest dog on two front paws. He also boasts 1.48 million Facebook followers, 2.5 million followers on Instagram, a 2017 calendar ($14.99) and his very own emoji app ($1.99).
4. Marnie the Dog
The 13-year-old rescue pup has marked her place in the Internet hall of fame with an Instagram account that boasts more than 1.9 million followers, a Facebook page with more than 412,000 likes, an online shop, a book and an app.
5. Toast Meets World
This King Charles spaniel puppy mill rescue has built a career off her impressive Instagram presence (358,000 followers and counting). Thanks to her online fame, she's posed as a sunglasses model for Karen Walker, and Harper Collins published her lifestyle book ToastHampton in May. An illustration of Toast even graced the side of this $88 tote bag from Parker Thatch.
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