Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Net Worth: From Action Star Money To Smart Business Decisions

Gage Skidmore

Net Worth: $450 Million

Profession: Actor, Film Producer, Politician, Television Director

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a renowned Austrian-American actor, businessman, and former professional bodybuilder who rose to international fame through his numerous roles in high-profile action movies. Born on July 30, 1947, in Thal, Styria, Austria, Schwarzenegger began his career as a professional bodybuilder, ultimately earning the title of Mr. Universe at the age of 20. His transition to acting in the late 1970s led to a string of successful films, solidifying his status as a Hollywood icon and as one of the highest-paid actors in the movie industry.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s net worth has seen significant growth over the decades, with multiple sources estimating his fortune between $400 million and $450 million as of November 2023.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Net Worth Skyrocketed Thanks To Movie Earnings

The actor has said on numerous occasions that he was already setting himself up financially thanks to smart real estate deals that earned him millions. However, it was his acting salaries that often surpassed $30 million with back-end deals that really skyrocketed the Austrian actor’s net worth.

This is just a small sample of the actor’s earnings that is based on publicly known information. We left off many of his movies, which did not include verified salary or back-end earnings.

We didn’t include the 1985 movie Commando on our list of verified movies, but Schwarzenegger is rumored to have been paid $2 million for Commando. That would be an impressive payday given the film’s $9 million budget. Commando made $57.5 million worldwide and helped build the actor’s status as a top-grossing movie star, even when small budgets were involved in the making of his films.

While he wasn’t paid much for the original Terminator movie, Arnold only delivered 17 words which means he earned $4,400 per word. Adjusted for inflation, that would be just over $13,000 per word in today’s money.

Some of those movies are likely still earning the action star a nice chunk of change from royalties; for example, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, delivers Schwarzenegger “20% of gross profits and more from TV airings, video sales, merchandise and more,” according to Parade.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Real Estate Investments Have Paid Off

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His Private Homes Have Profited In The Millions

Arnold Schwarzenegger has owned several homes throughout his life, both in the United States and abroad. While we often report on homes being sold at a loss, the former California governor’s homes have always turned a profit.

The actor’s Pacific Palisades, California home was purchased in 2002 for $5.1 million, and the 7,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style mansion was sold in 2016 for a whopping $17.6 million. The home features seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a full gym, a pool, and a private movie screening room.

The actor also proved his real estate prowess in 2011 when his 11,000-square-foot home in Sun Valley, Idaho, sold for $5.9 million. The action star purchased the home in 2003 for $4.7 million. The six-bedroom, eight-bathroom house once again features a full gym, pool, and tennis court.

One of Schwarzenegger’s biggest home flips happened in 2003 when he sold his Brentwood, California home for $11.9 million. He purchased the home in 1986 for just $2.1 million. The following year, the movie Predator would debut and help push his star even higher.

The one home sale that didn’t net huge profits during its sale was the actor’s Hyannis Port, Massachusetts transaction. He purchased the 6,000-square-foot home for $4.1 million in 1991 and ditched it in 1997 for just $4.2 million. After realtor fees and any upgrades, he likely lost money on the home.

Schwarzenegger’s Commercial Real Estate Could Be Worth $300 Million

While we know the action star for his work in such seminal hits as Terminator and Total Recall, it’s his business savvy as a commercial real estate investor that has likely earned him the bulk of his fortune.

Peter Harris, author of Commercial Real Estate Investing for Dummies, estimates that the actor has made $300 million by starting his investing early. In fact, Harris notes that Arnold bought a six-plex and lived in one of the apartments until he found a buyer. He then used the profits from that sale to buy a 12-plex. From there, his real estate empire continued to grow and now includes office buildings, hundreds of apartment units, and much more.

You can listen to Harris talking about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s net worth growth strategy in the video below.

“Buildings that I would buy for $500K within the year were $800K, and I put only maybe $100K down, so you made 300% on your money,” he told author Tim Ferriss in Tools of Titans (via CNBC). “I quickly developed and traded up my buildings and bought more apartment buildings and office buildings on Main Street down in Santa Monica and so on … I became a millionaire from my real estate investments.”

Express estimates that Arnold Schwarzenegger may have ownership stakes in as many as 100 different businesses.

Brand Endorsement Deals

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Over his lengthy career, Arnold Schwarzenegger has endorsed various products, and his newest deal was announced in August 2023 when he became the newest brand ambassador for German grocery chain, Lidl. The kickoff to his deal was a huge success, with his first video clip and news of his sponsorship deal going viral.

According to Progressive Grocer, “Germany-based Lidl operates around 11,550 stores and is active in 32 countries, employing more than 341,000 employees globally. The grocer runs about 170 stores in the United States.”

Here’s a fun fact, in Japan, where celebrity endorsements are commonplace, the actor star has hawked Nissin Cup Noodles and Chi Chin vitamin drinks.

Arnold has likely earned millions from his most notable celebrity endorsements, specifically during his time as a bodybuilder when Weider worked closely with Mr. Universe. He also signed a deal with MusclePharm to release the Arnold Schwarzenegger Series.

He has also had sponsorships that span the globe for such companies as 7UP, DirectTV, and more.

And, of course, we can’t forget that weird time in 2014 when he teamed up with Don Cheadle to sell Bud Light in a Super Bowl commercial.

While we don’t know how much his product endorsements over the years have added to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s net worth, it’s safe to assume he’s done pretty well for himself, given the global audience that recognizes him as one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.

With Arnold Schwarzenegger’s net worth now over $400 million and his savvy investments in real estate providing for much of his net worth, we expect him to keep investing, even as he approaches 80 years old.