Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, a small Austrian village, in 1947, two years after World War II ended. The 76-year-old lived an underprivileged childhood, but Arnie didn’t succumb to his fate. He visualized his success in bodybuilding as a teenager and became the best bodybuilder in the 1970s. But one thing he never agrees to is that he is a self-made man.

In his latest interview, the bodybuilding icon reiterated his stance on being called a ‘self-made’ man. Schwarzenegger stressed that many people helped him climb the success ladder and recounted his early days in America.

Arnold Schwarzenegger came to America with just $20 

The Austrian Oak won the Mr. Universe championship at 20. Joe Weider took notice of Arnie’s talent in bodybuilding and invited him to represent America in the Mr. Olympia competition. Schwarzenegger accepted the request, and the rest is history. Arnie won seven Mr. Olympia titles and became crucial in making the sport popular through his Pumping Iron documentary.

Despite earning an unparalleled name in multiple arenas, Schwarzenegger is unhappy with the ‘self-made’ label. “Because so many people write stories, ‘Schwarzenegger is an example of a self-made man,’ and I always say, ‘I’m not because,’ I say, ‘Everything that I’ve achieved is because of the help of other people,’” Schwarzenegger confessed in The Kelly Clarkson Show. Schwarzenegger narrated how Joe Weider was crucial in bringing him to America. Once in a foreign country, Arnie always had the help of bodybuilders in training and setting up a home.

“There were bodybuilders that brought over dishes to my apartment, blankets, pillows, a black-and-white TV, a radio,” he revealed. The 76-year-old didn’t forget all the help he received and stated, “You have no idea what it feels like when you are this immigrant, this foreigner that has $20 in his pocket when I came over here, and then all of a sudden, people show this generosity.” But why did Arnie contemplate leaving his village in the first place?

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The Austrian Oak’s love for America

The Terminator icon was born into a family with minimal resources in a post-war crisis. Arnie’s father was a police officer and a strict dad. Schwarzenegger had to do push-ups and knee bends to have his breakfast. The poverty and lack of freedom pushed Schwarzenegger to dream about America.

“I don’t think that I was brought up in the right place,” he said about his village in his Netflix documentary before adding, “There is something off here.” His strange passion to go to America also made him question his birth. But when the opportunity arrived, he left his country for America in 1968 and is now one of America’s richest citizens, with a net worth of $450 million.

The life of Arnold Schwarzenegger often leaves the world spellbound because he has had three successful careers and has contributed so much to sports, cinema, and politics. But, as Schwarzenegger confirms, he isn’t a self-made man because many helping hands were present in Arnie’s success story. Don’t you think so? Let us know in the comments below.

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