Hello Kitty is a fictional cartoon character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio. She is an anthropomorphic white cat with a red bow from Britain. Her cartoon character has been recognized internationally since her launch in 1974. Not only has Hello Kitty been the staple of kawaii (cute) and a popular cultural icon of Japan she has also been one of the most successful cartoon characters. As of 2014 she has a net worth of $7 billion a year without any advertising. With having products sold from jewelry, checks, purses, apparel, music, video games and other media outlets and products you can think of; she is still one of the most beloved Japanese cartoon characters to appeal to young children and adults. Despite having many past controversies related to the image of the character, Hello Kitty is still going strong at 40 years old and is still creating big smiles for all audiences worldwide.