'World's richest actor' is billionaire who hasn't had a role for six years
On Wednesday, Forbes released its list of America's wealthiest immigrants, with the globe's richest person, Elon Musk, unsurprisingly at the top.
SpaceX boss Elon Musk, 54, originally from South Africa, moved to Canada in 1989 and didn't arrive in the U.S. until 1992. He attended the University of Pennsylvania before making his mark in Silicon Valley.
Sitting at number 119 on the list of America's richest immigrants is an actor with humble beginnings. Born in Thal, Styria, Austria, in 1947, his father was a Nazi officer and served as a military policeman during World War II.
From these early days, he rose to fame as one of Hollywood's most beloved actors, starring in hits like The Terminator, Predator, Total Recall, Kindergarten Cop, and Jingle All the Way.
In 2003, he was elected governor of California for the Republican Party. This celebrity is none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Now 77, Schwarzenegger reflects on his Austrian upbringing as a 'very different world' from his life as a Hollywood legend. He described his parents, Aurelia and Gustav, as 'very strict.'
In an interview with Schwarzenegger.com back in 2000, the Hollywood legend revealed:
'It's true my parents were very strict, and I think many times I'm very strict with my own children—but not like it was when I grew up. Back then in Austria it was a very different world—if we did something bad or we disobeyed our parents, the rod was not spared.
It was still the yardstick at school. You put your hands out there on the table and BANG!' Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in the Terminator films (Image: Channel 5)
Arnold's bodybuilding career kicked off in the 1960s. He secured the Junior Mr Europe crown and headed to Forest Gate, London, to train with Charles Bennett.
At just 20 years old, he captured the Mr Universe title—becoming the competition's youngest champion and viewing the victory as his ticket to the American dream he'd nurtured since childhood.
Throughout the 1960s, Arnold dominated numerous weightlifting and powerlifting competitions. He ultimately earned the Mr Olympia crown at 23—making him the youngest person ever to secure this coveted honour.
His acting career launched in the early '70s, with an initial appearance in the 1970 film Hercules in New York, where he was credited as Arnold Strong. However, it was the 1982 blockbuster Conan the Barbarian that truly brought him fame, generating massive box-office returns.
The year 1984 marked his transition into what many consider his most iconic role—The Terminator, directed by James Cameron—establishing him as a cinema legend. Arnold's career has been characterised by a string of blockbuster action films, including Predator, Commando, and Red Heat.
Films starring Schwarzenegger are estimated to have grossed over $5.2 billion (around €4.5 billion) at the global box office. His acting talent, combined with astute investments, has reportedly left him with a net worth of approximately $1.2 billion (about €1.1 billion), according to Forbes. Arnold Schwarzenegger last appeared in Terminator: Dark Fate
This places him among the highest-earning actors in Hollywood history. Forbes estimates he has earned over $500 million solely from film salaries.
His success extends beyond cinema, including lucrative investments in Californian property and a minority stake in David Booth's Dimensional Fund Advisors. Today, his business interests include his film company Oak Productions, Fitness Publications Inc., and the film and trademark holding venture Pumping Iron America™.
Despite his tremendous success, Schwarzenegger has scaled back from filmmaking in recent years. According to IMDb, his last significant screen role was in Terminator: Dark Fate in 2019.
Since then, he has appeared in select short films and the animated series Superhero Kindergarten. While his net worth surpasses a billion dollars, Schwarzenegger is not Hollywood's top earner.
Film producer and music mogul David Geffen leads the pack with a staggering net worth of around $8.2 billion (€9.4 billion), closely followed by director Steven Spielberg, valued at approximately $5.3 billion (€4.5 billion). Director Peter Jackson isn't far behind at $1.7 billion (€1.5 billion), while producer Peter Gruber has amassed roughly $1.5 billion (€1.3 billion).
Filmmaker and actor Tyler Perry is also in the billionaire club, with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion (€1.2 billion).
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