How some pets earn more than most people

My cat screams for food every morning at 6:30am despite knowing full well that breakfast is at 8am, and generates absolutely no income. Taylor Swift’s cat is apparently worth $97m.

Oliva Benson, Swift’s white Scottish Fold, is the second-richest cat behind Nala Cat ($100m), per All About Cats’ Pet Rich List. Gunther VI, a German Shepard, is the top dog at $500m… maybe.

How does a pet get rich?

Like any of us, through hard work — or wealthy parents:

Brand endorsements: Olivia has appeared in commercials for Diet Coke, as well as Swift’s music videos, per Yahoo News.

Appearances: Humans and pets alike appear at fan conventions. This year’s CatCon featured meet-and-greets with “Adventure Cat Leo,” among others.

Merchandise: The late Grumpy Cat’s worth is unknown, but it’s estimated she brought in up to $100m through appearances and merch.

Sponsored social posts: Loni Edwards, founder of The Dog Agency, told Vox that pets with 100k+ followers can net a few hundred bucks per post, but those with millions can score $15k per post.

Inheritance: Gunther VI’s wealth is supposedly via a trust left to his ancestor, Gunther III. However, when Gunther VI sold a mansion, it was but a “brilliant stunt” by Italy’s Gunther Corporation, per Forbes. In fact, the entire thing may be a hoax…

… but some celebs, including Oprah Winfrey and late designer Karl Lagerfeld, have placed hefty sums in trusts to ensure their pets will be cared for after their deaths.

BTW: You can read all about how pet trusts work in our previous Sunday story here.