Aurora Starchild
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a man with many talents, most of which have helped him obtain obscene amounts of money. At times, he’s been the highest-paid entertainer in Hollywood. But his roots weren’t in money. He came from modest means in Austria but is now estimated to be worth $480 million. Let’s take a look at how Schwarzenegger’s pockets got so very deep.
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It All Started With Bodybuilding
Arnold Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947, in the small Austrian village of Thal. His father was the chief of police, and his mother was a homemaker. Arnold got into bodybuilding due to the inspiration of his soccer coach when he was only 15 years old.
Arnold’s 6’2”, 235 lb physique was so extraordinary that he started winning bodybuilding contests in 1965. He was the runner-up in the Steirer Hof Competition in Graz, Austria in 1963 and then won Jr., Mr. Europe, in 1965. Arnold nabbed the junior Mr. Universe title in 1966 and 1967 and the professional title in 1968. He won his first Mr. Olympia title in 1970, which he won six more times. His bodybuilding nickname was the “Styrian Oak.” (Check out his bodybuilding routine here).
Bodybuilding started paying off and Arnold eventually moved to the United States with saved earnings from his wins. In 1968, he moved to California with $27,000 to his name, which would be $229,787 by today’s standards when accounting for inflation (source).
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Real Estate Investments
Arnold’s biceps aren’t his only asset because the man is sharp as a whip. He got into real estate in the 1970s and attended business school that same decade. He earned a degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin in 1979, but he’d already started investing in real estate.
Once in California, he started investing in properties. Arnold’s first investment — a small plot of land in Palmdale that was supposed to become an airport — didn’t make him any money. He then bought an apartment building and turned it over, making about $146,000. Arnold kept buying larger and larger buildings, selling them for profits and decreasing the taxes he had to pay with each new purchase. He was an official real estate millionaire by age 25.
Today, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s real estate portfolio is estimated to be worth $300 million.
Movies: From Pumping Iron to Stardom
How can we forget the movies? Arnold first got into acting in 1970 when he played “Mr. Universe” in Hercules in New York. His stage name at the time was Arnold Strong. He starred in the 1977 bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron. He made a slew of cameos and played very small roles in various TV shows and films up until 1982. That’s when he played the title role in Conan the Barbarian. That film was a success, earning Arnold a $250,000 salary and leading to a sequel.
In 1984, Arnold starred in The Terminator, although his salary was only $75,000. However, since he only needed to say 17 lines in the film, he was essentially paid $4,400 per word. The Terminator was a box office hit, earning $78.3 million and shooting Arnold to total stardom.
Arnold has continued to appear in film and television, including commercials, music videos video games, and soundtracks, up until the present day. His acting career, which has included directing and producing, has earned him an estimated $400 million before taxes.
Arnold’s Politics
Actually, folks, this section doesn’t add much to Arnold’s net worth. Arnold allegedly claimed that serving as Governor of California for 8 years prevented him from earning $200 million from acting. He served as the Republican Californian Governor from 2003-2011.
