Arnold Schwarzenegger fortune of money. Capitalists in the civil service: why the richest people go to power

Arnold Schwarzenegger, having left the post of head of the most populous US state - California, is playing new roles. The schedule of the politician and actor is scheduled by the hour - expensive tickets to his lectures are selling like hot cakes. He gave an interview to the Austrian newspaper Krone and told his fellow countrymen about his immediate plans and life principles. Izvestia publishes excerpts from it.

Question: Is this how you imagined working as governor? Would you do anything differently now?

Arnold Schwarzenegger: People are always strong in hindsight. If I had known how severe the economic downturn would be, I would have initiated cost-cutting programs much earlier. I planned to reduce the state's debt in the first year from 16 to 12 billion dollars, in the second - to eight, in the third - to four, and in the fourth, to reduce it to nothing. And in July 2007 we would already be at zero. However, already in August we lost 300 million dollars in taxes. By December it was already a billion, and over the past three years - 20 billion each. There was less money coming into the treasury, so tough measures had to be taken to save money.

Q: But your image suffered, and your popularity went down.

Schwarzenegger: It is clear that in the current situation I could not keep all my election promises. Politics is no different from show business. If the film turns out to be successful, then everyone says: this Schwarzenegger, they say, keeps his nose to the wind. And I'm just an actor. And it’s not up to me that the genre of the film came at just the right time and the film found its audience. However, you accept congratulations. It’s the same in politics. Everyone is happy with you if things go well, but you have to take responsibility if they don’t work out. Even if these were circumstances that you could not do anything about. People were waiting for you to solve their problems. That's all. However, in general, my political career turned out to be very successful - we managed to accomplish 90% of what we undertook.

Q: You refused the governor’s salary and lived at your own expense. How much did it cost you?

Schwarzenegger: I can say for sure - $35 million from my personal money. I earned 70 million, half of which went to taxes. Besides, I could probably make a movie a year. I lost about $140 million on this - the stakes in Hollywood are not so high anymore. In total, it's probably more than $200 million. But I don’t regret anything - such things cannot be measured with money. What is much worse is that working as governor was difficult for my family. Now we have to patch up a lot of holes.

Q: You were invited to perform the other day in Toronto. What will you tell your listeners about?

Best of the day

Schwarzenegger: They want to know everything about my life. This is very nice, because I’m just working on an autobiography. I will tell Canadians about my six rules for life. First: you must always see the goal. Second, never take “no” for an answer. Third: work as hard as you can and never be afraid of failure. Fourth: in life, always follow the straight path and don’t try to take shortcuts around it. Fifth: always strive for knowledge and constantly learn. Sixth: be sure to try to repay those who helped you.

Politics is no different from show business. If the film turns out to be successful, then everyone says: this Schwarzenegger, they say, keeps his nose to the wind. And I'm just an actor. And it’s not up to me that the genre of the film came just in time

Q: You are currently writing a biography. How is the work going?

Schwarzenegger: I have a whole team that collects materials about my life. I also search my memory quite a bit. And more and more I come to the conclusion: many things in my life have two sides. Austrian and American, good and bad, heart and mind, Republican and Democrat, politician and family man. For example, when I supported President Barack Obama's health care reform, the Austrian in me spoke up. After all, every person has the right to health care. If he can't afford it, then society should pay. But when it comes to the death penalty, the American in me takes over. Working on my autobiography helps me understand myself better.

Q: Are you going to be actively involved in politics again?

Schwarzenegger: One way or another, politics will haunt me for the rest of my life. I already said that I “fell ill” with it.

The Terminator and the Governor

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in 1947 in Austria. He has been interested in bodybuilding since childhood. In 1966, the athlete took second place in the Mr. Universe competition, and a year later he received this title. In 1968, he went to America, which he had long dreamed of. Here Arnie - as the bodybuilder was nicknamed - continued his sports career and began working in cinema. Gradually, Schwarzenegger became a Hollywood star, starring in films such as "Conan the Barbarian", "Terminator" and "Predator". But this is not enough for Arnie, who received American citizenship in 1983. He makes a career in politics, joining the Republican Party. By the way, his wife Maria Shriver comes from a famous family of Democrats - she is the niece of President John Kennedy. In 2003, Schwarzenegger became governor of California, and in 2006 he was re-elected for a second term. His powers expired on January 3, 2011.

The Hollywood star, and now the governor of California, celebrated his 60th birthday

The governor of America's most populous state, California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, a former Hollywood actor, celebrated his 60th birthday last Monday. The life story of Iron Arnie, who is often called the embodiment of the “American Dream,” could itself become a script for a Hollywood film.

In three years, Arnold gained 20 kilograms of muscle

Arnold was born into the family of a policeman and a housewife in a small village near the Austrian city of Graz. In the old house where the family lived, there was no telephone, no refrigerator, no central heating. There was not even running water. Arnold and his brother had to carry water several times a day from a well, which was located 150 meters from the house.

As a child, the future celebrity was neither strong nor healthy (his father even gave Arnie the nickname Cinderella). But one day the boy saw in a magazine a photograph of bodybuilder Reg Park, winner of the title “Mr. Universe”. This photo made a very strong impression on Schwarzenegger. Arnold, who had dreamed of going to America since he was ten, decided that bodybuilding would be his ticket there and the first step on the path to fame. He started training by setting up a gym in the basement of his house. In three years, the young man gained twenty (!) kilograms of muscle.

Because of his love for bodybuilding, 18-year-old Arnie even had to serve time for AWOL. Schwarzenegger, who served in the army as a tank driver, once ran away from his unit and went to Stuttgart for a bodybuilding competition. There he won a victory, but upon his return he was sent to the guardhouse for a week.

But all the troubles paid off handsomely. As a result, Schwarzenegger became one of the most successful bodybuilders in the world, repeatedly winning the prestigious titles “Mr. Europe”, “Mr. Universe”, “Mr. Olympia”. In the 70s of the last century, the Guinness Book of Records awarded him the title of “the most perfectly developed person in the entire history of the world.”

Having gained fame in the field of bodybuilding, Arnold fulfilled his childhood dream and moved to the USA. Here he decided to achieve even more - to pave the way to Hollywood. In 1970, the young Austrian made his debut in the film “Hercules in New York.” The film's producers advised the guy to take a working pseudonym, fearing that his unpronounceable surname would not appeal to Americans. Therefore, in the credits, Schwarzenegger was listed under the name Arnold Strong (translated from English - strong). Real recognition came to Arnie only in the 80s - after the release of the films “Conan the Barbarian” and “Terminator” (in these films he starred under his real name). Although film critics were not enthusiastic about Arnold's acting skills, the audience received him with a bang.

In 1977, at a tennis tournament, Arnold met Maria Shriver, a representative of one of the most influential family clans in America, the niece of the assassinated US President John Kennedy. At that time, the aspiring actor was having an affair with hairdresser Sue Moray. However, Arnold was not bothered by this. For a whole year, he dated two women at once - until Sue gave him an ultimatum: her or Maria. Schwarzenegger preferred Miss Shriver, from whom at that time he carefully concealed that he was playing a double game.

Kennedy and the Shrivers disapproved of Maria's choice, considering Schwarzenegger an "uncouth hillbilly." The girl herself, belonging to the cream of society, more than once had to blush for her boyfriend. Once in a restaurant, Arnold, deciding to make a joke, grabbed Maria by the neck and, in front of the visitors, shoved her face right into the cake. “I liked Arnold for his sense of humor. I realized that you would never get bored with this guy, and I got married just for fun,” Maria later said, but immediately added: “It’s a joke. In fact, it impressed me with its reliability. I always dreamed of having a strong family like the White House.”

On April 25, 1986, actor Schwarzenegger and television journalist Shriver got married. The couple has four children - 17-year-old Katherine,

16-year-old Christina, 13-year-old Patrick and nine-year-old Christopher. The family of Maria and Arnold is still considered a model of prosperity in Hollywood. “I respect her point of view. She respects mine. In general, in our house the Terminator is Maria,” admits Arnold. Marriage to Shriver brought Schwarzenegger closer to the American elite, opening the way for him into politics. In 1990, George H. W. Bush appointed him chairman of the President's Council on Fitness and Sports.

Schwarzenegger's net worth is estimated at $900 million

In 2003, Schwarzenegger was elected governor of California and today, according to numerous polls, is one of the most popular politicians in the history of the state. Arnold believes that he can handle more complex tasks. Like Ronald Reagan, who also came to politics from the world of cinema, he dreams of becoming president. Arnie is prevented from running for the highest office in the country by the American Constitution, according to which immigrants do not have the right to participate in presidential elections. Now Arnold and his supporters are actively campaigning for the abolition of this clause of the basic law. So Schwarzenegger, whom the authoritative Time magazine included in the list of the hundred most influential people on the planet in May of this year, can achieve his goal.

“He lives his dreams and believes in his goals. He wanted to become Mr. Universe and became one. He dreamed of becoming a Hollywood star and realized his plans. He wanted to become a governor, and it turned out to be within his reach,” says his close friend, bodybuilder Ralf Moeller, about Arnie. “The results I have achieved in life have always exceeded my wildest dreams. Therefore, I regularly had to come up with new ones,” says Schwarzenegger himself.

The California governor's net worth is now estimated at about $900 million. Arnie accumulated his capital not only through fabulous fees (his salary for the film “Terminator 3” was $30 million, thanks to which Schwarzenegger again entered the Guinness Book of Records as the highest paid actor in the world). The former bodybuilder, who became a millionaire before he became a movie star, has an unerring business sense, investing well in stocks and real estate. He was involved in the restaurant business, published his books, which immediately became bestsellers, sold sports equipment, published fitness manuals, thereby constantly increasing his wealth. It’s no wonder that Arnold graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and business.

True, Schwarzenegger says that money is not the most important thing in life for him. They don't make him happier. Nevertheless, he was accustomed to denying himself and his family nothing. In 1997, the actor spent $38 million on the purchase of a Gulf Stream private jet. Schwarzenegger's family now lives in a $12 million home in the Los Angeles suburb of Brentwood. In the state capital of Sacramento, the governor does not have his own home. When he is in town, he stays in a luxury room at one of the local five-star hotels. Renting a room costs him 65 thousand dollars a year.

Vladimir Gruzdev, current governor of the Tula region (since August 2011)

State:$1.2 billion

Vladimir Gruzdev came to the post of governor of the Tula region as a rich man - in 2011, Forbes estimated his fortune at $950 million. Now the ex-entrepreneur is distancing himself from his business. In a recent interview with Vedomosti, when asked how a family enterprise is developing in the current economic conditions, Gruzdev redirected the question to those “who are developing it.” Meanwhile, the Gruzdevs’ business: Forbes estimated the governor’s fortune in 2015 at $1.2 billion. In 2014, Gruzdev earned 1.073 billion rubles in public office.

The Tula governor made money in retail. In 1993, he founded the Seventh Continent retail chain, a share in which he sold to his partner Alexander Zanadvorov in 2007. Also, the governor of the Tula region had a hand in the creation of the Fashion Continent company, which is developing the InCity clothing store chain. Now the Gruzdev family foundation owns a share of Fashion Continent.

In the post of governor of the Tula region, Gruzdev replaced Vyacheslav Dudka, who resigned with the wording “of his own free will.” Just a couple of weeks after this, Dudka became a defendant in a criminal case for taking a bribe, and later.

Upon taking office, Gruzdev systematically met with residents of all districts - in recent history, he was the first governor to begin such a practice. After these meetings, the heads of some districts resigned. Gruzdev also took up increasing the level of informatization of officials, some of whom before his arrival, and the problem of conflict of interests among representatives of local authorities.

The billionaire is involved in charity work in the region. Every year he spends about 250 million rubles on it from his personal funds, and transfers his salary to the Yasnaya Polyana orphanage.

Vitaliy Klitschko, current mayor of Kyiv (since July 2014)

State:$112 million (according to the 2014 declaration)

In December 2013, professional boxer Vitali Klitschko ended his sports career and completely focused on politics. Although issues of city and government administration began to occupy the elder of the two Klitschko brothers much earlier.

In 2006, the boxer simultaneously ran for the Verkhovna Rada and for the post of head of Kyiv. Then in the mayoral elections he took second place, gaining 23.7% of the votes. The athlete also did not get into the Verkhovna Rada without breaking the 3% barrier. Two years later, he again failed to take the chair of the Kyiv mayor. The third attempt was successful. In May 2014, 56.7% of voters voted for Klitschko in the Kyiv mayoral elections. , which he headed in 2010.

Soon after his appointment, Klitschko announced his five-step program. The former athlete named the priority tasks as the fight against corruption, optimal and transparent use of the budget, attracting investment, maintaining constant contact with citizens and increasing the safety and comfort of life in Kyiv. However, in the summer of 2014, Klitschko was forced to raise tariffs for housing and communal services for Kiev residents and limit the supply of hot water. Another unpopular decision was the increase in public transport fares.

Rick Scott, current Governor of Florida (since January 2011)

State:$132 million (according to the 2013 declaration)

The current governor of Florida, Rick Scott, is the richest person in this position in the history of the state. His fortune, according to his income declaration, is $132 million. George Sheldon, who lost the post of Attorney General of Florida, refuses to believe this, accusing Scott of hiding about $200 million. Despite this, the millionaire remained as governor for a second term, his new inauguration took place on January 6, 2015.

Scott came to politics from business. Since 1987, the entrepreneur has worked for the largest network of private clinics in the United States, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). In 1994, the medical corporation merged with Columbia Hospital Corporation, and Rick Scott was appointed CEO of the new holding. Three years later, a scandal erupted around the company related to fraud with state health insurance. Scott resigned and received $9.8 million and 10 million shares of the holding company worth about $350 million as compensation.

Subsequently, the entrepreneur continued to engage in business in the healthcare sector. As governor of Florida, Scott was remembered for the fact that in 2012, while speaking on the radio, instead of the health department hotline, he accidentally dictated the number of the phone sex service. In addition, the official banned the use of the terms “global warming” and “climate change” in the state.

Amnesty International says Scott holds the record for death sentences among U.S. governors since 1976, authorizing 21 executions.

Alexander Khoroshavin, governor of the Sakhalin region (August 2007 - March 2015)

State: 8.9 million rubles, according to the declaration for 2013, but during the search an amount of 1 billion rubles and 800 jewelry were seized

Now the former governor of the Sakhalin region, Alexander Khoroshavin, became the first head of the region in post-Soviet history, who was directly in the workplace. The official was arrested in the case of receiving a bribe in the amount of $5.6 million when concluding a government contract for the construction of one of the units of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinskaya Thermal Power Plant. After the arrest, searches took place in Khoroshavin’s Moscow apartment and dacha. In total, 1 billion rubles were seized from the governor in various currencies and. The gubernatorial powers from the official in the pre-trial detention center were removed on March 25, 2015 by presidential decree with the wording “”.

Claims against Khoroshavin, who took office as head of the Sakhalin region in the summer of 2007, have been made before. Thus, in 2013, the United Popular Front accused the official of unreasonable spending. Among other things, there was the purchase of a car for 8 million rubles, the construction of a garage for 250 million and expenses of 680 million rubles “to improve the image of the governor.” “It’s impossible to think of anything more stupid. If only they had carried out something under a different article,” noted Russian President Vladimir Putin, having learned about these expenses.

If Khoroshavin is found guilty of taking a bribe, he faces 15 years in prison. So far, only one former head of the region has received a real sentence - ex-governor of the Tula region Vyacheslav Dudka. He was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison for a bribe of 40 million rubles.

Igor Kolomoisky, Chairman of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration (March 2014 - March 2015)

State:$1.3 billion

Igor Kolomoisky is one of. The future oligarch began commercial activities in the late 80s, and in the early 90s he founded Privatbank, on the basis of which the country’s largest financial and industrial group was later created. Now it directly or indirectly includes more than 100 enterprises in Ukraine and around the world. Privat is represented in the banking sector, petrochemicals, metallurgy, food industry, air transportation, sports and media.

The businessman entered politics in 2014. The billionaire accepted the authorities' offer to become governor of the Dnepropetrovsk region. Upon taking office, Kolomoisky promised not to engage in business and to speak Ukrainian. At his post, the businessman was remembered for his proposals to nationalize the property of pro-Russian oligarchs supporting the DPR and LPR, as well as to erect a two-meter wall with barbed wire on the border with Russia.

Kolomoisky served as governor for just over a year. On March 25, 2015, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko announced the release of the businessman from public office. A few days later, in an interview with the Washington Post, Kolomoisky explained why he left the governor’s chair: he allegedly did not fit into the “vertical of presidential power.” “The next step could have been accusing me of separatism, and I made this decision [to resign] to calm the situation and show the country that I am not holding on to this position if society believes that I should leave,” Kolomoisky said. According to him, he does not intend to continue his political career.

Sergey Taruta, Chairman of the Donetsk Regional Administration (March - October 2014)

State:$144 million

Another Ukrainian businessman who was called up for public service. He served as governor of the Donetsk region for only six months - from March to October 2014. During this time, the businessman repeatedly criticized Kyiv, in particular, he opposed the Minsk agreements on the special status of the DPR and LPR. After this, rumors appeared that Poroshenko might remove Taruta from his post. Resignation October 10, 2014.

In his interviews, Taruta has repeatedly said that he does not strive for a political career, but is involved in big business. Taruta is a co-owner and chairman of the board of directors of the Industrial Union of Donbass (the largest enterprises of the group are the Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works, the Alchevsk Coke and Chemical Plant, the Dnieper Iron and Steel Works named after Dzerzhinsky) and the president of the Metallurg football club. Nevertheless, after resigning from the gubernatorial position, Taruta participated in early elections to the Verkhovna Rada, where he entered, gaining 60% of the votes as a self-nominated candidate from one of the constituencies of Mariupol.

Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York (November 2002 - January 2014)

State:$35.5 billion

“If you want to go into public service, I would recommend that you first become a billionaire,” the author of these words, Michael Bloomberg, has proven the effectiveness of building such a career.

The future billionaire (in the latest ranking of the world's richest people, Michael Bloomberg took 14th place, having increased his fortune by $2.5 billion in 2014) started in 1966 on Wall Street. At Salomon Brothers, he worked his way up from an intern to head of equity trading and information services, and after the company was sold, he decided to found his own firm, Bloomberg LP. The company was engaged in collecting, analyzing and selling data on the state of financial markets. Today, Bloomberg's empire includes television channels, radio stations and an economic and financial news agency.

The billionaire entered politics in 2001, deciding to take the post of mayor of New York. Bloomberg spent $40 million of personal savings on his election campaign; some American experts called this figure a record. His opponent, Democrat Mark Green, then spent $10.7 million.

Bloomberg won the election, becoming the 108th mayor of New York. He assigned himself a symbolic $1 a year as a salary and refused public housing. In 2008, Bloomberg announced his intention to change the number of mayoral terms from two to three. The official was confident that his extensive experience in finance would help the city during the crisis. Bloomberg managed to convince the New York City Council to change the law, after which he ran for mayor for the third time and won again.

The billionaire resigned from his duties as mayor on December 31, 2013. After which, on January 2, he went on his first vacation in 12 years to Hawaii and New Zealand. In early April 2015, the current mayor of London, Boris Johnson, invited Bloomberg to run for mayor of the British capital. True, a couple of days later the billionaire rejected this idea: “Zero chances, zero interest.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California (November 2003 - January 2011)

State: about $300 million

“Politicians do trifles, work ineptly and let voters down. I decided to put things in order in our common house!” - Arnold Schwarzenegger said in the summer of 2003 live on Jay Leno's popular talk show, after which he announced his candidacy for governor of California. Throughout the election campaign, the headlines of articles about the star contender were full of the term Governator (a hybrid of the words terminator And governor), but, despite the skepticism of the press, he managed to win.

The former bodybuilder, the youngest Mr. Universe in history and the killer robot Terminator, about whom comedian Robin Williams joked: “Only the Scotch collie Lassie said fewer words than Arnold Schwarzenegger,” was more than 15% ahead of his closest rival. In addition, Schwarzenegger became the first state governor since Irishman John Downey, elected in 1862, to be born outside the United States.

“Iron Arnie” spent two terms in office, although since 2009, his rating has never risen above 30%, and California has experienced a budget deficit and a deep financial crisis. The governor began the fight against him with himself and refused a salary of $175,000 a year.

Schwarzenegger had money. He became a millionaire by the age of 30. In addition to income from acting, Schwarzenegger made money from a mailing business. He also founded a construction company and became involved in real estate. In 2013, the former governor announced his readiness to run for president of the United States. True, for this, “Iron Arnie” will have to wait for changes in the American constitution: he is a native of Austria, and according to US law, only an American can become president. In the meantime, Schwarzenegger is starring in the new Terminator trilogy.

Margaret Whitman, candidate for governor of California (2010)

State:$2 billion

Margaret Whitman is one of the hundred most powerful women in the world and one of the dollar billionaires according to Forbes. For ten years, from 1998 to 2008, she was CEO of eBay, after which she took the helm of Hewlett-Packard. Her mission is to save the world's struggling second-largest technology company. All this time, Whitman’s salary was $1, but in 2014 it increased to $1.5 million.

Despite her brilliant career, the businesswoman was drawn to politics, and her chances were assessed very highly. In 2008, The New York Times mentioned Whitman among the Americans who could become the first female president of the United States.

In 2009, the entrepreneur announced her candidacy for governor of California. Whitman ran the most expensive election campaign in American history, spending $144 million from her own pocket and another $178 million in fundraising. However, having won the Republican primaries, she still lost to the incumbent governor, Democratic candidate Jerry Brown.

Participating in the elections was the second most serious mistake in her career after the failure of eBay in the Japanese market, Whitman later admitted in an interview with CNBC. She stated that she no longer intends to engage in politics.

Roman Abramovich, governor of Chukotka (January 2001 - July 2008)

State:$9.1 billion

One of the richest businessmen in Russia, Roman Abramovich, spent seven years as governor of Chukotka. For the first time in the easternmost region of the country, a billionaire who began his entrepreneurial activity with the production of rubber toys in the Uyut cooperative appeared in 1999. Then Abramovich was elected as a State Duma deputy in the Chukotka constituency, and a year later his popularity in the region increased so much that about 90% of the local population voted for him in the gubernatorial elections.

The businessman was a good governor. Abramovich launched housing construction in the region, raised wages and gave the residents of Chukotka pleasant gifts - from double-glazed windows to trips to the south. The billionaire spent his own money on this: according to some estimates, up to $1.5 billion. Until 2005, the budget of the Autonomous Okrug was almost 80% filled by three subsidiaries of Sibneft owned by the entrepreneur: Abramovich transferred their tax payments to the most remote region of Russia from the capital after of his election, and also began to pay income tax to the local budget. As a result, by 2004, the revenue side of Chukotka’s budget increased more than eight times, to 16.9 billion rubles (including income tax collections increased 12 times).

In May 2005, when the businessman’s first term as governor was ending, the website chukotken.ru organized a survey “Who is Abramovich for you?” The second most popular answer after “governor” (29.3%) was “god” (19.6%).

One of the results of Abramovich’s rule was the arrival of cashless payments in Chukotka: equipment that read credit cards was installed in almost all local stores. The innovation had a positive side effect - the local population began to drink less, since moonshiners refused to accept plastic, and the reindeer herder could withdraw cash from an ATM only once every two to three months, upon reaching the regional center, RIA Novosti wrote.

Abramovich stayed several times, but after meetings with President Vladimir Putin. “He was not greedy, he invested his own money in economic development and energy supply,” Putin praised him, refusing to accept his resignation. In October 2005, the entrepreneur was elected to a second term. But he didn’t work it out completely. On July 3, 2008, President Dmitry Medvedev prematurely terminated the powers of Roman Abramovich with the wording “at his own request.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger received a record fee for the film “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,” which premiered in Moscow the night before, newsru.com reports.

If we take into account only the fixed rate, then no one in the world can compare with Arnie in terms of money earned. At the same time, in absolute terms - taking into account the percentage of box office receipts, sales of goods with symbols, sales of videos and DVDs, etc. - Schwarzenegger is overtaken by Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis, Tom Hanks. And at the top of the ranking was Keanu Reeves, who is now considered the highest paid actor in Hollywood.

So far, the 55-year-old “Terminator” shares 7th place with Jim Carrey (role in the film “The Truman Show”) in the overall Top 10 list, which evaluates the largest actor’s fees. The success or failure of "Rise of the Machines" at the box office will decide where Schwarzenegger will move to.

Most of the total fees of Bruce Willis (The Sixth Sense, 100 million), Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible 2, 75 million), Tom Hanks (Saving Private Ryan, 40 million) also come from successful distribution.

The top 10 looks like this:

1.Keanu Reeves (The Matrix trilogy, $206 million)
2. Bruce Willis (“The Sixth Sense”, 100 million)
3.Tom Cruise (“Mission: Impossible 2”, 75 million)
4. Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, 70 million)
5. Jack Nicholson ("Batman", 60 million)
6. Tom Hanks (Saving Private Ryan, $40 million)
7. Jim Carrey (The Truman Show, $30 million)
8. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator 3, 30 million)
9. Mel Gibson (“We Were Soldiers,” “Patriot,” 25 million each)
10. Harrison Ford ("K-19", 25 million)

By the way, the semi-legendary Hollywood producing duo - Andy Vaina and Mario Cassar, whose efforts have created many cult films of the last two decades, admitted that the third "Terminator" was perhaps the most risky and difficult project for them.

In the late 80s, before filming the second part of the saga, the Carolco company, created by Cassar and Vaina, acquired 50 percent of the Terminator from the Hemdale film studio, which shot the first film.

The other half of the rights belonged to the Hollywood “Iron Lady” Gale Anne Hurd, the first wife of another participant in the project, James Cameron. During the divorce, which occurred even before the filming of Judgment Day, Cameron transferred his 50 percent to his ex-wife for a symbolic fee of one dollar.

Thus, without Hurd's participation, Vaina and Cassar could not begin work. She agreed to participate in the project with one condition: only one sequel would be made. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" was a fantastic success for those times, grossing more than $500 million during its release. Paradoxically, Carolco, which created it, was declared bankrupt some time later.

However, according to the producers, the idea to make a sequel was already there. But it was only possible to implement it towards the end of the 90s. Vaina and Cassar were able to persuade Gale Anne Hurd to film another sequel, but James Cameron flatly refused to participate in the project, saying that he “has already said everything he wanted and does not intend to further exploit this idea.” Apparently, depressed by this circumstance, Heard agreed to give up her share to Vaina and Kassar. Now they completely owned the Terminator.

However, the problems did not end there. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in turn, said that he would never act in a film without Cameron. “This is his idea, his world, which will simply become meaningless without him,” Arnie said. Negotiations continued for almost a year and a half, but “Iron Arnie” was adamant.

“I told Arnold that we were willing to wait until Cameron made a final decision, but we needed some time,” complained Mario Cassar. “But Jim never agreed.” However, Cameron himself approached Schwarzenegger with an offer to participate in the project without him. Only after this "Arnold said that he agreed."

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines opened on July 2. During the first day of release, box office receipts amounted to $16.5 million. The cost of the film exceeds 170 million, that is, it is one of the most expensive Hollywood films in history.

As for the other works of Vaina and Kassar, viewers are certainly familiar with such blockbusters as “Rambo”, “Basic Instinct”, “Total Recall”, “Cliffhanger”, “Die Hard” and many others.

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947 in the village of Tal near the city of Graz. Known as an American bodybuilder, entrepreneur and actor of Austrian origin, Republican politician, 38th governor of California. He was elected to this position in October 2003 and re-elected to a second term in 2006. According to the results of a public opinion poll conducted by the sociological service Field Poll, Schwarzenegger, in the gubernatorial post, according to 71% of respondents, did not cope with his responsibilities, and in the elections in 2010 he could no longer stand as a candidate. In 2011 he resigned.

Winner of a number of bodybuilding awards, including a seven-time winner of the Mr. Olympia title. Organizer of the Arnold Classic competition.

During his acting career, he played leading roles in many films, including Hercules in New York (1970), Stay Hungry (1976), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Conan the Destroyer (1984) , "Terminator" (1984), "Red Sonja" (1985), "Commando" (1985), "No Compromise" (1986), "Predator" (1987), "The Running Man" (1987), "Red Heat" (1988), “Twins” (1988), “Total Recall” (1990), “Kindergarten Cop” (1990), “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991), “Last Action Hero” (1993), “True Lies” (1994), Junior (1994), The Eraser (1996), A Christmas Present (1996), Batman & Robin (1997), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), The Return of a Hero "(2013), etc. Has a number of awards in cinema.

Childhood and youth

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in the Austrian village of Tal in 1947 into a Catholic family. Parents, especially the father, kept a tight rein on their children. My father worked as the chief of the local police. In 1938 he became a member of the Nazi Party. Arnold's mother did household chores and looked after her sons.

Arnold was not a favorite: his parents, especially father Gustav, paid more attention to their eldest son Meinhard. Arnold's job was to get up at 6 a.m. and do all his household chores before school.

His father insisted that Arnold take up football to get in good physical shape. The guy could not strictly disobey his parents, but at the age of 14 he exchanged football for bodybuilding, which he liked. Arnie went to the gym every day in Graz. This caused scandals with his father, who did not tolerate disobedience.

The atmosphere in the family is most clearly understood by the facts contained in the biography of Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 1971, Arnold's brother Meinhard, while intoxicated, had an accident and died. Arnie didn't come to his brother's funeral. He also did not come to say goodbye to his father.

Army

In 1965, Arnold was drafted into the Austrian army for a year. There he received the specialty of a tank driver. And this despite the fact that a minimum of 21-year-olds were appointed to it. Only in the army, by the way, did Schwarzenegger begin to eat daily

meat. While in service, Arnold participated in the Mister Europe competition among juniors. The future star won it. By the way, in order to go on stage, Arnie went AWOL. And for such an act he ended up in a military prison for two months. Schwarzenegger recalls finding space and time to train even during tactical exercises where soldiers lived in the field. He made a barbell from scrap materials. By the way, Arnold did not make an ideal soldier. He even sank his tank once.

Body-building

At the age of 18, Arnold joined the army. After serving, he moved to live in Munich. There, Arnie was hired to work at a fitness club. In his youth, money was so tight for the guy that he had to sleep right on the floor of the gym. Hardships left their mark on Arnold's character and behavior. Schwarzenegger constantly gets into fights and is regularly fined by the traffic police. And although Arnie soon becomes the head of the gym himself, this does not reduce his debts.

The bright streak in the life of a bodybuilder begins in 1966. Arnold Schwarzenegger unexpectedly gets to the second stage of the Mr. Universe competition. The following year brings him the long-awaited title “Mr. Universe 1967”. The year 1968 also became special for the future actor. Bodybuilding magazine publisher Joe Weider invited Schwarzenegger to the USA. There, Arnie was able to take part in the Mr. Universe 1968 competition, organized by the IFBB. After taking second place, a bodybuilder focused solely on leadership first becomes despondent. But not for long.

Arnie trains hard and soon snatches two victories at the Mr. Universe competitions (NABBA and IFBB). In 1970, Schwarzenegger no longer had equals. For five years in a row, Arnold remains the permanent holder of the Mr. Olympia title and becomes a legend. He truly managed to reach the top of this sport.

Schwarzenegger ended his sports career after 1980. His contribution to the popularization of bodybuilding is considered enormous. Arnie is the author of the book "Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding", which was published in 1985 with a circulation of 10 thousand copies. In it, the famous bodybuilder spoke about all the nuances of training for any muscle group. For many bodybuilders, the book has become a reference book.

Film career

Arnold's career as a film actor began in 1969, when he was invited to star in the film Hercules in New York. Arnold at that time had little idea what the American film industry was and, moreover, poor knowledge of the language was a barrier to understanding the dialogues. But the director who invited Arnold apparently believed that 58-centimeter biceps would more than compensate for poor acting and flaws in English. But the expectations were not met and the picture was practically unnoticed. Many years later, Arnold Schwarzenegger calls the painting “Hercules in New York” his least favorite work. However, failure does not stop Schwarzenegger. And he stars in The Long Goodbye and Stay Hungry. These paintings also did not become masterpieces, although thanks to them the matter got off the ground. For his role in the film “Stay Hungry,” Arnold received a Golden Globe in the category “Best Debut.” He began studying acting, attending special courses, and also took up the task of eradicating his accent. The director of the film “Predator” said: “Arnold is a very capable young man, many people told me that he would have to suffer, practicing takes more than a dozen times, but in reality it turned out that three or four were enough. He picks things up on the fly.”

His first major success came after filming the film “Conan the Barbarian”. The film grossed 107 million worldwide. This happened in 1982. A year later, a sequel is urgently filmed, and the new film brings its creators another hundred million. Arnold himself says: “Conan is a gift from God for me, but filming the first film was accompanied by a number of challenges. Sometimes I had to do something really creepy... In the first episode, I had to be attacked by four wolves, and real ones. The wolves were released from their cages too early. I ran back, fell off the cliff and cut my back. I was quickly dragged into the medical trailer and the doctor stitched up the wounds. The next day I had to fight with twenty horses. The third horse fell all over me and I fell! I managed to get up, but had to drop my sword. You cannot imagine the joy of knowing that you have overcome fear. It makes no difference to me whether they hurt me or not. I am inspired by the fact that no challenge frightens me!”

In 1984, James Cameron directed the film Terminator. The success exceeded all expectations. Viewers took cinemas and video stores by storm, and critics warmly welcomed Arnie's new acting work, noting that he modeled the cyborg's gait well. The film became a real masterpiece, an example of its genre. And Arnold's role - Terminator - is more than just a role. This word has become a common noun in all languages ​​of the world.

The decision-making process and the choice of actor for the role in the new action film was now decided in favor of the new Hollywood star. After “Terminator” there were such super hits as “Commando”, “Predator”, “Total Recall”, “True Lies” and others. The former bodybuilder became the owner of many awards, although he also had quite a few nominations for the Golden Raspberry anti-award - 8 pieces.

Film critics believe that Arnold Schwarzenegger is nothing of himself as an actor, and he still tries not to make complex and long speeches, and comedian Robin Williams said that even the Scottish shepherd Lassie can compete with Schwarzenegger in lines; he speaks fewer words than he does Only she.

In order to fight off the image of the Terminator, who doesn’t really say anything, Schwarzenegger begins acting in comedies. For his first such film, “Twins” (1988), as for some others, he does not even ask for any fee, being content only with a percentage of sales.

The film “The Last Action Hero” became Schwarzenegger’s parody comedy of himself and his “Terminator” image. After the release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1993, the National Association of Theater Owners awarded the actor the title of "International Star of the Decade." The film grosses $519 million against a budget of $102 million; Arnold Schwarzenegger's fee for this film was $15 million. 2003 was marked by the release of the sequel "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" (Schwarzenegger's fee for this film was at that time a record for the entire film industry - $35 million) and Arnold, at 56 years old, This decides to end his film career. The same year brought the actor victory for the post of governor of California; after his appointment to this position, for obvious reasons, Schwarzenegger forgot about cinema. But after eight years of work as governor of the state of California, Schwarzenegger resigned and decided to return to acting.

Schwarzenegger is currently filming The Last Stand, directed by Ji Won Kim. The film's release is scheduled for 2012. However, recently, due to Schwarzenegger's head injury, filming was briefly suspended. On his Twitter page, he left a photo with a wound on his forehead and a note.

Business career

From the moment he arrived in the United States, Arnold began doing business and was quite successful in this. Having made friends with another bodybuilder, Franco Columbu, Schwarzenegger opened with him a small company supplying bricks (the business grew greatly after the earthquake in Los Angeles in 1971, when an extreme shortage of building materials arose). Then friends also opened a company for home delivery of goods, and they themselves began to sell sports accessories and videotapes with training courses of their own making. All this time, Arnie invested very successfully in real estate, and his fortune began to grow by leaps and bounds. Just three years after moving to the USA, he was already a quite wealthy man. Today his fortune is estimated at approximately $200 million. According to some estimates, if not for his decision to take the post of governor (where he, on his personal initiative, did not receive the required salary in order to save budget funds), today he would be the owner of approximately half a billion.

I'm an immigrant. I came here penniless, and America gave me opportunities that I was not too lazy to take advantage of. America welcomed me with open arms

Political career

In terms of American political life, Schwarzenegger is generally considered a "centrist". Despite his marriage to Maria Shriver, a representative of the influential Democratic Kennedy clan, Schwarzenegger himself is a staunch Republican. His views contrast with the political beliefs of most show business figures, who usually support the Democratic Party. In the 2008 presidential election, Schwarzenegger supported Republican candidate John McCain, saying that "his views are close to mine, including on the environment."

Although Schwarzenegger has a number of negative statements about Democrats, on a number of issues he is more liberal than most of his party colleagues. Schwarzenegger supports the Republican position on same-sex marriage and limiting illegal immigration, but is close to Democrats on the issues of banning abortion and limiting gun rights. Supports the legalization of marijuana - but only for medical purposes; his last step as governor was the signing of an executive order decriminalizing the possession of marijuana weighing up to one ounce (29 grams); the criminal liability was reduced to a fine of $100. However, the attempt to legalize marijuana failed; in 2010, in the corresponding referendum, 57% of voters were against it.

Consistent supporter of the Kyoto Protocol, supporter of stem cell research.

In 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor of California from the Republican Party. He became the state's 38th governor and the state's first foreign-born governor since Irishman John Downey was elected in 1862. The American media accompanied the election campaign with headlines “Governator” (a hybrid of “terminator” and “governor”), “Running Man” and “Terminator 4: Rise of the Candidate” (an allusion to the title of the film “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"). The election of a new governor was accompanied by the second recall in US history of the current head of the state, Gray Davis, which led the state into a state of financial and energy crisis; this gave the press a reason to headline “Total Recall” (an allusion to the famous Schwarzenegger film, released in Russian under the title “Total Recall”).

In his activities, he soon encountered powerful opposition, which launched a campaign of incriminating evidence against him, and experienced a significant drop in his ratings. Despite this, he was re-elected to a second term in 2006. His terms expired in 2011, and he was ineligible to run for a third term under the California Constitution.

After his re-election, he finally moves to the political center, between Republicans and Democrats; he supports the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, has a negative attitude towards the war in Iraq, and entered into a number of conflicts with US President George Bush. According to the US Constitution, he has no right to run for president because he was born outside the United States. Currently, he sees the prospect of his presidency (by adopting a corresponding amendment to the Constitution) as unrealistic:

I support the people who are in favor of this amendment. But accepting it is a difficult task that will require many years. I just won't live to see it.

In April 2005, Schwarzenegger signed SB 424 into law, declaring the week including April 24 of each year as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Week. In late 2007, it came under fire for the SB 777 amendment, which brought the types of discrimination prohibited in public schools into line with the definitional part of the hate crimes law. The main salvo of criticism was directed against the inclusion of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people in this list.

As a Republican, Arnold Schwarzenegger strongly opposed same-sex marriage early in his political career. However, amid high-profile public debate and a series of lawsuits in California, he changed his position and called for their registration to be renewed. He declined to be a defendant in the federal lawsuit Perry v. Schwarzenegger, which challenges the constitutionality of the same-sex marriage ban. Schwarzenegger referred to the fact that he swore to defend the US Constitution, and the ban on same-sex marriage, in his opinion, contradicts it. The trial played an important role in further legalizing same-sex marriage throughout the United States.

Despite Schwarzenegger's titanic efforts to cut state expenses, he failed to overcome the acute budget deficit. The governor's attempts to replenish the coffers by raising several indirect taxes failed in a referendum, and cuts to civil servants, police officers, nurses and teachers were met with strong opposition from unions. Schwarzenegger's tough stance on cutting spending has repeatedly led to budget crises, with the governor and the state Legislature unable to agree on a budget for months. In 2010, the budget was adopted only in October instead of June.

In March 2017, it became known that the former governor of California was thinking about returning to the political arena; he began to consider his possible participation in the elections to the US Senate, which are scheduled for 2018. The actor does not agree with the decisions of the current president regarding political reforms, climate change issues and immigration issues. By becoming a legislator, Arnold will be able to confront the president on a qualitatively new level.

Personal life

Arnold Schwarzenegger's personal life can safely be called stormy. In 1969, his first serious romance began with an English teacher, Barbara Baker. Their relationship lasted for five whole years, and the breakup occurred only in 1975.

And a year later, on the beach, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger falls in love with hairdresser Sue Moray, the affair with whom ends in 1977, when Schwarzenegger meets his future wife Maria Shriver. On April 26, 1986, Arnold and Maria finally got married. Schwarzenegger proposed while walking along a lake in Austria, and the romantic atmosphere left the girl no choice. She agreed. The couple had four children: Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher.

In 2011, Arnold admitted to cheating on his wife with a maid who worked in the family's home for 20 years. After this statement, Arnold and Maria divorced. Arnold has no plans to retire. And although he is already quite old, he still leads an active lifestyle, trains in the gym, runs in the morning, and constantly assures everyone that he is full of strength. So there is no doubt that he will make himself known, and quite soon.

It is not victories that give you strength. Struggle gives strength. When you go through difficulties and don't give up, that's strength.

Interesting facts from the life of Arnold Schwarzenegger

• The Austrian house where the Schwarzenegger family lived once belonged to a member of the royal family. When the aristocrat left his home, he set the condition that only people of two professions could live in this house - the local police chief or the forester. As you know, the chief of police was Gustav Schwarzenegger, the father of the future governor.
• Arnold's older brother Meinhard died in a car accident in 1971, while he was drunk at that time. Arnold did not come to his brother’s funeral (Menhard was married to Erica Knapp and they had a three-year-old son, Patrick). About a year later, Arnold's father Gustav Schwarzenegger dies of a heart attack; his son did not come to his father's funeral, nor did he attend his brother's funeral. Then Arnold said: “The way children are raised in Austria and Germany has many differences from the American education system; in my country, children are raised to be obedient. I have always been a rebel who did everything in defiance and received many blows from my father for my rebellious spirit; I was beaten with a belt and put in a corner. My father’s treatment of me could easily be described as child abuse.”
• Many have asked the question “why are there never sex scenes with Arnold Schwarzenegger in films?”, like, for example, with Jean Claude Van Damme (for example, take the film “Double Impact”). The answer is that it was not possible to simply do this with him; in life he was not shy, but he could not be present in intimate scenes in front of the camera. After all, in the film “Twin,” where Schwartz starred with Denis Davito, a sex scene was initially planned, but nothing worked out in the end. Moreover, when they decided to do without her and simply show that the couple had already done everything and was lying in delight, Arnold could not play this episode either. Arnold could not make the completely satisfied face that we saw in the film. And as a result... the director literally sculpted it for him.
• There were rumors that Arnold Schwarzenegger bought an M-47 tank from Austria, the same one he once drove while in the army, for $1.4 million. This tank was transported to the United States of America and installed in a museum in Columbus, Ohio.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger: “I love Russia very much, and this love began when I was still a child. In Vienna, in 1961, I watched the weightlifting championship. Soviet weightlifters then simply destroyed everyone. Yuri Vlasov and Leonid Zhabotinsky. They were so tall and strong. These were intellectual weightlifters. That’s when I decided that I would definitely be just like them.”
• While vacationing in Hawaii in 2004, Schwarzenegger saved a drowning man by pulling the victim ashore.
• In the full-length cartoon “The Simpsons Movie,” Arnold Schwarzenegger became President of the United States of America.

Video

Sources

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwarzenegger,_Arnold http://www.uznayvse.ru/znamenitosti/biografiya-arnold-shvarcenegger.html