Arnold Schwarzenegger Actor and former Governor of California

Early life and education

During the time of the birth of Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger on July 30, 1947, Thal, Styria, was an auspiciously dismal place to be born into. He was a second son to Gustav Schwarzenegger and his wife Aurelia (née Jadrny; 1922-1998). The father, Gustav, was chief of police in the locality; after the Anschluss in 1938, he joined the Nazi Party and in 1939, the Sturmabteilung (SA). Gustav was a military policeman for Nazi Germany during the Second World War in the invasions of Poland, France, and the Soviet Union (including the siege of Leningrad), attaining the rank of hauptfeldwebel. He was very badly wounded at Stalingrad, after which he was discharged in 1943 because of malaria. According to Holocaust historian Michael Berenbaum, "Gustav Schwarzenegger served in theaters of the war where atrocities were committed.

Gustav favored Arnold's elder brother, Meinhard. His favoritism was "strong and blatant" on ungrounded suspicions that Arnold might not be his biological son. Schwarzenegger does say that his earliest memories are of climbing into his parents' bed during a storm with thunder, lightning, and his cuddling between his mother and father. However, he did say that his father had "no patience for listening or understanding your problems". He had a good relationship with his mother, maintaining contact until her death.

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder known for his roles in high-profile action movies. He served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 to 2011.

Real Estate Investments

In September 1968, Schwarzenegger, at the young age of 21, migrated to America with $27,000 to his name. The entire sum he had won through competitions. In terms of today's money, $27,000 in 1968, has an equivalent of $182,000, after adjusting for inflation. This meant the money was by no means a small amount. Shortly after his arrival in Hollywood, Arnold started investing small amounts in real estate. He bought a small piece of land in Palmdale, California, which people said would soon become the new home of a supersonic airport. Even though this investment did not work out, Arnold was not discouraged. He took his remaining money and borrowed $10,000 from his trainer at Gold's Gym in Venice, California, and bought an apartment building for the price of $214,000. A year later, he sold his investment for $360,000. He then traded up to a 12-unit building, followed by a 36-unit building, followed by a 100-unit building. Each time Arnold sold a building, he would pour the profits into the next venture to avoid taxes and increase his potential future return. By the time he was 25 years old, Arnold had become a real estate millionaire. This all happened well before he was a well-known actor. 

In 2002, Arnold together with his then-wife Maria Shriver, bought the extensive 6-feet estate in the Los Angeles Brentwood neighborhood at $4.8 million. Surrounded by a community that keeps a high-profile character of residents like Dr. Dre, the property has long been the primary residence of Schwarzenegger. The residence measures approximately 14,500 square feet, having huge ocean views, expansive grounds, private tennis courts, and resort-style swimming pools. The home is secluded and elegantly built to create high-profile guests while still being a retreat-like environment for family. Arnold still resides at the estate, now considered to be worth $20-30 million after separating from Shriver, making one of his top real estate assets.

Beyond Los Angeles, Schwarzenegger and Shriver also hold shares of several joint ownership vacation properties, which are in keeping with the family's particular interests and lifestyle. In Sun Valley, Idaho, the earner gets one of the richest ski resorts in the country. It is a mountain retreat, coupled with access to world-class slopes and alpine living. They also have a property in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, which is within the near vicinity of the Kennedy family compound. This coastal escape links Maria Shriver to her familial roots and has given the Schwarzenegger children summers steeped in New England tradition.

Dimensional Fund Advisors

In 1996, Arnold bought an undisclosed amount of a 5% holding in an investment firm named Dimensional Fund Advisors. At that time, the stated firm managed assets amounting to about $12 billion. Nowadays, that amount has bloated to almost $700 billion. Arnold's holding is estimated at around $300-500 million pre-tax.

Commercial Film Success

In 1970, he won the first of what became many "Mr. Olympia" titles during his illustrious career. He got his first big break in the film business after winning Mr. Olympia, when he was cast in the featured role in "Hercules in New York." Arnold's fame became further known in 1977 by the bodybuilding documentary "Pumping Iron."

So, faced with movies such as "Conan the Barbarian," his popularity kept rising, but it wasn't until he was cast in the blockbuster "The Terminator" in 1984 that Arnold's career truly took off. He was paid $75,000 for his role in The Terminator, which grossed $80 million internationally. After Terminator, Arnold went on to launch a career with satellites into the stratosphere. He followed it up with hits like "The Running Man," "Red Heat," and "Predator." He even dipped into comedy with 1988's "Twins," this one starring alongside Danny DeVito.

Notable Salaries

Arnold Schwarzenegger's rise through Hollywood was paralleled by the slow but steady escalation of his paycheck size. His earlier salaries during his cinema days were not very grand, but by the 1990s he had become one of the highest-paid actors in the world.

• Terminator (1984): $75,000

• Red Sonja (1985): $250,000 (cameo)

• Commando (1985): $2 million

• Raw Deal (1986): $2.5 million

• Predator (1987): $3.5 million

• The Running Man (1987): $5 million

• Red Heat (1988): $5 million

• Twins (1988): 0 salary, backend only (see below)

• Total Recall (1990): $11 million

• Kindergarten Cop (1990): $12 million

• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991): $12 million

• Last Action Hero (1993): $15 million

• True Lies (1994): $15 million

• Junior (1994): $15 million (also received backend points)

• Eraser (1996): $20 million

• Jingle All the Way (1996): $20 million

• Batman & Robin (1997): $25 million

• End of Days (1999): $25 million

• The 6th Day (2000): $25 million

• Collateral Damage (2002): $25 million

• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003): $29.25 million upfront, plus backend (see below)

By 2000, Arnold's contracts almost always exceeded $25 million upfront, an amount with backend profit participation, big perks package, and pay-or-play clauses that guaranteed his fee, whether or not the film was made.

Terminator Salaries

Arnold Schwarzenegger's association with the Terminator franchise saw him become a global superstar with some of the biggest paydays in Hollywood history.

• The Terminator (1984): At the time of his signing to play the T-800 in James Cameron's sci-fi thriller, Arnold was still a rising star. For the role, he was paid just $75,000, which would go on to define his career.

• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991): T2 went into production and Arnold earned a $12 million salary for the sequel. That pay-project works out to approximately $21,429 per spoken word, even though he had 700 words of dialogue- which makes him by now one of the biggest draws in the international box office.

• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003): A decade later, with James Cameron stepping away from the franchise, Arnold agreed to return — but only after negotiating what would be one of the most lucrative and protective contracts ever signed by an actor.

Some of the key terms in T3 contracts included:

• Base fee – $29.25 million (guaranteed, "pay or play")

• Backend participation – 20% of gross revenues above $380 million

• Overage bonus – $1.6 million for every day production exceeded the schedule

• Perk package – $1.5 million budget for private jets, a fully-equipped gym trailer, hotel suites, bodyguards, and 24/7 drivers

Terminator 3 went on to earn $433 million worldwide, thus triggering the backend clause and pushing Arnold's overall take from the project to an estimated $110 million. This figure includes box office points, home video revenue, TV rights, video game licensing, and everything else—all calculated off gross receipts with no manipulation by Hollywood accounting.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Screen Name	Arnold Schwarzenegger
Real Name	Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger
Date of Birth	July 30, 1947
Age	78
Birth Place	Thal, Styria, Austria
Mother	Aurelia Jadrny Schwarzenegger
Father	Gustav Schwarzenegger
Sibling(s)	Meinhard Schwarzenegger
Childrens	Katherine, Christina, Patrick, Christopher (with Maria Shriver), and Joseph Baena (son from previous relationship).
Eyes colour	Blue
Hairs colour	Light brown (now often gray/white with age)
Spouse	Maria Shriver (m. 1986 — divorced 2021)
Romantic relationships & encounters	Long-term relationship (since 2013): Heather Milligan (reported). Past relationships: Brigitte Nielsen (1984–1985), Sue Moray (1977–1978), Kay Shaw (1973), Barbara Baker (1969–1974). Reported encounters: Mildred Patricia Baena (resulting in son Joseph, 1997), Rachel Ticotin, Gigi Goyette, Debra Wrenn, Eleanor Mondale, Kellie Everts. Rumoured hookup: Vanessa Williams.
Net Worth	$850 million some outlets reported figures above $1B in 2025.
Country	USA
Profession	Actor, Politician
Nationality	USA , Austria
Social Media	Instagram — ~26M followers Facebook Page — ~24M followers Twitter (X) — ~5M followers TikTok YouTube — ~1.54M subscribers Threads — ~4.4M followers