“The cat”, origins, fortune, his wife Dany… everything you need to know

That’s it, Philippe Geluck is reaching a new milestone in his life: turning 70! The famous designer joins the septuagenarian club this May 7. On this occasion, the Women’s Journal looks back on his life and career.

Where is Philippe Geluck from?

Philippe Geluck is Belgian, he was born in Brussels on May 7, 1954. He grew up in a communist family. His father was also a press cartoonist. His workshop is located in Brussels, even though he regularly comes to Paris, notably to participate in Big heads of RTL as a member. A connection to its roots that Belgium repays: in February 2024, the city of Lasne installed a giant sculpture of the Cat in its city center until November 2024.

In Belgium, he received several prizes and distinctions: Grand Prix Saint Michel 2013, Prix Diagonale special 10 years and a primary school bears his name in Herseaux.

Is Philippe Geluck married?

Yes, he is married. In 1976, Philippe Geluck met a certain Dany on the set of a short film. Four years later, the lovebirds got married. At the time, the man was doing theater. It is under Dany’s gaze that he grabs his pen and Cat took shape. “It was first of all her that I wanted to amuse, he explained to Gala. Laughter was one of my weapons to seduce her. I knew very well that I couldn’t rely ‘only’ on my looks.” Together, they had two children: Antoine, born in 1983, and Lila, born two years later, in 1985. In addition, the couple now has 4 grandchildren.

An infinite love that he had also mentioned in Daily : “I fall in love with her again every morning (…) You don’t know her, she’s wonderful.”

How rich is the designer?

Philippe Geluck concedes this without blushing: “I couldn’t imagine earning such a good living doing the job I love.” Thanks to Cat, he has sold more than 15 million copies of his comics. Enough to ensure a comfortable lifestyle… “There are people who do a pleasant job and in which they earn a decent living. (…) I am happy to have created a project which has enabled this”he assumed in the pages of Paris Match in 2023.

Income that he had defended from The Freeexplaining having multiplied acts of solidarity: “I have never exploited anyone and my income comes mainly from my royalties which are the noblest way to earn money. As soon as I could, I helped my parents financially and others people and around forty associations.”

To see his fortune, on his site you can buy small sculptures of the cat for 950 euros or larger ones for 2400 euros. Furthermore, the Brussels parliament had purchased an XXL statue of the Cat for the sum of… 370,000 euros.

Philippe Geluck, the man behind “Le Chat”

It’s not just Philippe Geluck who is celebrating his birthday: Cat also celebrated his 40th birthday. The 24th volume of the eponymous saga will be released in bookstores in 2023. 40 years of adventures of the most famous cat, in the humorous comic strip where he is depicted as an “anti-hero”. And to draw his inspiration, Philippe Geluck draws inspiration… from himself. “I’m not too shy, even in public, he confided to CNews. The Cat allows me to do this in an absurd way. He often leaves the answer to the reader’s discretion. We know what he must think, but he is never militant.”