“Wasn’t Marrying Her Because…”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Refused to Rely on Maria Shriver’s Family Fortune in Their Marriage, Revealed in His Autobiography

The iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger and American journalist Maria Shriver met for the first time in 1977 and tied the knot 9 years later. In the 70s, if the Austrian was winning hearts through ‘Pumping Iron’, then Maria Shriver had just kick-started her career as a TV journalist on the KYW station Philadelphia. While the 7x Mr. Olympia champion rose to fame after making a big splash in Hollywood through his singular prowess, Shriver was already under the spotlight because of her lineage that comes with being a member of the Kennedy family. Nevertheless, for Schwarzenegger, it was never about the bequest that Shriver was bringing to the table at the time of their marriage.

Being a descendant of one of the most prestigious families in the States comes with a hefty fortune. Though Shriver is the legatee of the Kennedy family’s affluence, the Austrian Oak once revealed that he entered into the institution of marriage with the journalist, not because of her fortune. In fact, the bodybuilder chose the path of tough grind to make the money in order to provide for his family.

Arnold Schwarzenegger refused the reliance on the Kennedy family’s fortune at the time of his marriage with Maria Shriver

In his memoir, Total Recall: My unbelievably true life story, the bodybuilding demigod penned the importance of financial independence before marriage. Delving into his own accord, the Austrian stated, “I’d promised myself that we would never have to use Maria’s money-neither the money she earned nor any from her family”. The Terminator star then added, “I wasn’t marrying her because she came from wealth”.

The bodybuilder then elaborated on the traditional way of earning a passive income to cater to the needs of his family. Backing his revelation with the help of his megahit, blockbuster, action-thriller film, ‘Predator’ (1987), the actor asserted, “I was making $3 million for Predator, and if it did well at the box office, I’d earn $5 million for the next project and $10 million for the next”.

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Mentioning the optimistic perspective that he had during his prime, the Predator actor conceded, “I didn’t know whether or not I’d end up richer than her grandfather Joseph P. Kennedy, but I felt very strongly that we would never have to rely on Shriver or Kennedy money”. He continued, “I had no interest in it”. Clearly, the ex-governor of California rather has an intriguing perspective when it comes to having financial freedom.

The Austrian’s counsel on financial independence

Describing the imperativeness of financial autonomy, the bodybuilder wrote in his memoir, “I always felt that you should wait to marry until you are set financially and the toughest struggles of your career are behind you”. He further penned, “I always wanted to be financially secure before getting married, because most marriages break up over financial issues”.

It indeed is one valuable piece of advice from someone who achieved global fame through his incredible flair in every field he set foot into. Though the bodybuilder received certain setbacks in his marriage, he never failed in his pursuit of providing only the best to his family. From a famed bodybuilding career to being an icon of Hollywood’s entertainment industry, Arnold Schwarzenegger hailed in every arena he pursued, don’t you agree?

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