World's richest actor is an immigrant raised by Nazi cop; now has $1.2B net worth; beat Tom Cruise, SRK, Dwayne Johnson

Hindustan Times

10-07-2025

On Wednesday, Forbes magazine released an interesting list - America's most successful immigrants. The list contains names of billionaire immigrants, people who were born outside the US but emigrated to the United States and made it big. As names like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Satya Nadella, and George Soros headline the list, a few from the world of entertainment feature too, including the world's richest actor - a 77-year-old who started in a Nazi household before becoming one of America's most loved icons. The world's richest actor is an immigrant with a net worth of $1.2 billion.
The world's richest actor
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former California governor and action star, is the richest actor in the world with a staggering net worth of $1.2 billion, according to Forbes. This is a marked decline from his peak wealth of $1.49 billion earlier this year, but it still keeps him on top of the list. Among men and women who have derived their fame and wealth from acting primarily, nobody else is a billionaire. Dwayne Johnson, Shah Rukh Khan, and Tom Cruise follow Arnold, all with net worth in the $800-900 million range. Tyler Perry and Jerry Seinfeld are the only two performer billionaires among men, while Rihanna is the only woman. But none of them are primarily actors.
From immigrant to billionaire, how Arnold made his billions
Arnold was born in Styria to local chief of police, Gustav Schwarzenegger and his wife Aurelia in 1947. Arnold grew up in a tough household and later revealed that he endured child abuse at the hands of his father. At age 14, Arnold began bodybuilding, and within three years, he was competing professionally. He served in the Austrian Army for a year, winning the Junior Mr Europe title during his service. This opened the doors for international competitions. In 1966, he participated in the Mr Universe competition in the US, and never returned to Austria.
Over the next decade, he established himself as one of the most dominant bodybuilders in history, winning the Mr Olympia title a record seven times and the Mr Universe title thrice. Even though he started acting as early as 1970, Arnold focused on bodybuilding through the 70s. He gained fame with the 1982 hit Conan the Barbarian. In the 80s and 90s, he became the world's number one action star with blockbusters like The Terminator, Commando, Predator, Total Recall, and True Lies. One of the highest-paid actors ever, Forbes estimates that Arnold has earned $500 million (before taxes and fees) in paychecks and profit-sharing deals from his movies.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was a top bodybuilder in the 70s before becoming one of Hollywood's biggest action stars in the 80s and 90s.
He has made more money from investments in real estate and other fronts, including a minority stake in David Booth's Dimensional Fund Advisors. His other valuable investments include a piece of Easton Town Center, the Columbus, Ohio mall created by billionaire Les Wexner, and equity in the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Los Angeles, notes Forbes.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Nazi connection
Arnold's father Gustav was a policeman in Austria, who joined the Nazi Party in 1938 after the German occupation. Over the next seven years, he served as a military policeman in the invasions of Poland, France and the Soviet Union. According to Holocaust scholar Michael Berenbaum, Gustav Schwarzenegger served 'in theatres of the war where atrocities were committed. But there is no way to know from the documents whether he played a role.'
Gustav and Amelia Schwarzenegger at their wedding in 1945.
Gustav's links to the Nazis became a subject of debate and controversy when Arnold ran for California governor in 2003. The actor has shied away from addressing his father's military service. But in 2022, he broke that silence with a rare message during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 'To the Russian soldiers listening to this broadcast, you already know much of the truth that I'm speaking. You've seen it in your own eyes. I don't want you to be broken like my father,' he said. Gustav died in 1972, when Arnold was 25. He did not attend his father's funeral.