Catherine Hettinger
#132,946 Most Popular
About
Inventor who claims to have created the Fidget Spinner. The toy took off in popularity in 2017, which would have made her rich had she not let go of her patent due to not being able to pay the renewal fee. She claims that she invented the toy in 1993 while having to create toys for her daughter to play with, as the child suffered from an auto-immune disorder which left her with severe muscle weakness.
Before Fame
She originally began selling the original design of her product at craft fairs throughout Florida.
Trivia
Her 1997 patent for a "Spinning De-stressor Finger Toy" has led to her being discredited as its creator due to being too different than the modern form of the fidget spinner. Her patent dissolved in 2005 and was then claimed by Hasbro. Other forms of her invention have been created by others including the torque bar which was created by Scott McCoskery.
Family Life
She invented the fidget spinner as a way of entertaining her daughter.
Associated With
NataLime gained fame for her fidget spinner YouTube videos.