Hello Kitty’s looking pretty at 50 (and worth more than ever)

Stock in Sanrio Co. hit $8.7 billion recently, just weeks before the company’s feline star turned 50.

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Gearoid Reidy Hello Kitty is the second highest-grossing media franchise in the world, according to TitleMax, earning more than the likes of Harry Potter or Star Wars. Hello Kitty is famously the height of just five apples. But these days, the more striking statistic is that she’s worth more than one trillion yen (S$8.

7 billion). Stock in Japan’s Sanrio Co. hit that milestone for the first time recently, just weeks before the company’s feline star turned 50.



Kitty White was born on Nov 1, 1974, when she first appeared on a vinyl coin purse that quickly helped her became a national sensation in Japan. Already a subscriber? Log in Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month $9.90 $9.

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