Grumpy Cat is a millionaire? Say what? It earned an estimated $1 million in appearances, endorsements and a movie deal in her first year as an Internet celebrity. Her manager, Ben Lashes, takes a 20 percent cut.

Lashes is quite well known with the world of Internet stars. His clients, along with his star client Grumpy Cat, also includes Keyboard Cat and Nyan Cat. Lashes recently branched out beyond cats to manage other meme celebs like Ridiculously Photogenic Guy and Scumbag Steve.

Speaking to Mashable, Lashes says that the world of Internet memes is no different than that of comic books.
Monetizing [the memes] can be totally different depending on the thing, it's not just one formula. There's advertising, licensing for merchandising, licensing in the digital world. And they become brands in themselves. It's not that much different if you own Bart Simpson or Mickey Mouse.
Watch the video below:


The Man Behind the Meme - That Was Me by That-Was-Me