Meet Tucker Budzyn, The Golden Retriever Who Makes $1 Million A Year

Riches, money, and the comforts of the world allure almost everyone. People are in awe of film celebrities earning money and leading an extravagant life. Similarly, social media influencers earn lots of money from their brand tie-ups and following. But ever heard of a dog making millions and helping the owner take a rest? If not, then this should be your next read.

Courtney Budzyn owns two dogs — Tucker and Todd. Her Instagram bio reveals that Todd, in reality, is Tucker’s son. The golden retrievers are social media influencers, with Tucker’s account having over 34 lakh followers on Instagram and his son Todd enjoys around 470k followers. Through Tucker-Todd’s popularity, Courtney benefits greatly.

Earning through sponsored ads:

Research conducted by the portrait company, Printed Pet Memories, puts the 5-year-old Tucker Budzyn at Number 1 among others. The golden retriever has been earning money from sponsored ads since he was 2-years-old. “A YouTube paid post can be anywhere between $40,000 and $60,000 (approx Rs 33,12,020 to 49,68,030),” says Tucker’s owner Courtney Budzyn in an interview with New York Post. She further adds, “For Instagram, we make about $20,000 (about Rs 16,58,282) for three to eight stories.”

Helped the owners get rid of their jobs:

Courtney, 31, who cleaned houses, and her husband, Mike, a civil engineer, quit their jobs to manage Tucker and his puppy son Todd full time. She made Tucker an Instagram page the day she got him at 8 weeks old in June 2018. The next month, his first video became viral.

“We gave him an ice cube and he pawed at it,” said Budzyn, a Michigan resident. “I was floored that many people were as interested in my dog as I was. By the time he was 6 months old, he had 60,000 followers … It was insane,” she adds.

Across social media, Tucker has 11.1 million followers on TikTok, 5.1 million on YouTube, 4.3 million on Facebook, 3.4 million on Instagram, and 62,400 on Twitter. With brands like BarkBox and King Kanine CBD for dogs, the Budzyns are developing their line of products.