Episode 139 - Did A German Shepherd Really Inherit $500 Million?
Why do humans toss money at pets? Cavemen fed bones to wolf pups in exchange for protection. Whereas Gunther the dog was given Madonna’s mansion
The median American household spends over $1,400 per dog dog annually, and $900 on their cats. The median American income is $54,000 a year according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Which means for many pet owners, 2% of all earnings go back to their animals. …a number that’s closer to 50% if your name is Todd or Joe.
In this episode we’ll weigh the health benefits of pet ownership against the costs, and we’ll call into question the bargain that’s existed between dog and man for thousands of years. Are we getting our money’s worth? We’ll take cardiac health, emotional wellbeing, and daily hormone boosts into account. Then we’ll compare it to mega-wealthy animals like Taylor Swift’s influencer pets, Betty White’s pampered pooch Pontiac, and the wealthiest canine heir of all Gunther. A German Shepherd who’s inherited net worth is over $500 Million. Except there’s one catch to the Gunther story. The dog that every news station has agreed is the “Wealthiest Dog In The World” might be an elaborate fraud by an eccentric pharma tycoon. A fraud that involves bankrupted football teams, pornstars, truffle auctions, and rap albums featuring barking dogs.
What won’t we do for our pets?
History Links:
DUPES:
https://www.today.com/pets/dog-500-million-trust-sells-villa-once-owned-madonna-t239420
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1KEod5FLr4&ab_channel=CBSMiami
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2ZOzR-_WBk&ab_channel=ABC7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FJtVlGZKqs&ab_channel=mashhouse
https://www.npr.org/2021/11/18/1056805293/dog-miami-mansion-madonna-real-estate
https://people.com/home/the-worlds-wealthiest-dog-gunther-vi-lists-his-miami-vacation-home-that-once-belonged-to-madonna-for-31-75-million/
REALITY:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmareynolds/2021/11/17/worlds-wealthiest-dog-is-selling-miami-estate-for-32-million/?sh=1181d3406356
https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1999/01/13/rich-dog-s-tale-just-doesn-t-wag-true/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurizio_Mian
Science Links:
https://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/10/26/773531999/dog-people-live-longer-but-why
https://www.wired.com/2015/04/people-care-pets-humans/