Arnold Schwarzenegger: Health, Relationships, Wealth, and More

Arnold Schwarzenegger has packed more lives into one than most people can imagine: world champion bodybuilder, Hollywood superstar, Governor of California, and now a grandfather who still deadlifts. But in recent years, his personal life has drawn as much attention as his career — from multiple heart surgeries and a very public divorce to a long-term relationship with his physical therapist.

Age: 77 (born July 30, 1947) ·
Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) ·
Children: 5 ·
Mr. Olympia titles: 7 ·
Terms as California governor: 2 (2003–2011)

Here is a quick overview of his biographical details.

What is Arnold Schwarzenegger diagnosed with?

What heart conditions has he had?

• Schwarzenegger was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital condition where the aortic valve has two leaflets instead of three, according to coverage from the Los Angeles Times.
• He also had a replacement heart valve that began to fail, necessitating a second surgery in 2020.
• Public records and interviews confirm he has been transparent about his cardiovascular health.

How many heart surgeries has he undergone?

Schwarzenegger has had two major open-heart surgeries. The first was in 2018 for aortic valve replacement. The second came in 2020 at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where he received a new pulmonary valve, as reported by the Los Angeles Times (Spanish edition).

The implication: his open approach to health has allowed the public to see the full story — including the fragility that comes with a body pushed to extremes for 50 years.

Does he have any other health problems?

Beyond his heart condition, Schwarzenegger has had shoulder and knee surgeries related to decades of heavy lifting. He also suffered a serious accident while filming Terminator 2 that required surgery. He regularly advocates for exercise to maintain joint and mobility health as people age.

The pattern is clear: longevity in demanding careers comes with physical costs, and Schwarzenegger has been unusually candid about them.

Who is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s partner today?

Who is Heather Milligan?

• Heather Milligan is a physical therapist based in Santa Monica, California, described as 49 years old in early 2024 according to Yahoo Lifestyle.
• She owns and operates Elite OrthoSport Physical Therapy, a practice she built herself (Meaww).
• She reportedly met Schwarzenegger after he had shoulder surgery during preparation for the film Escape Plan, and his surgeon recommended her as his physical therapist, per a profile on TheStreet.
• Their relationship became public around 2013 and has continued steadily since then.

Are he and Maria Shriver still married?

• Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver separated in 2011 after 25 years of marriage, following the revelation that he fathered a child with their household staff member, Mildred Baena.
• Their divorce was finalized in 2021, but they have maintained a working co-parenting relationship for their four children together.

The catch: his new partnership with Heather Milligan has been stable, but the decade-long divorce with Shriver shows how complicated a high-profile breakup can be.

Who is Maria Shriver seeing now?

Maria Shriver has been linked to political strategist Matthew Dowd, though both have kept the relationship relatively private. Dowd is a former chief strategist for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign who later became an independent commentator.

The pattern: Both ex-spouses have moved on to new partners. Yet their public interactions — joint family appearances at graduations — suggest a functional, if sometimes tense, co-parenting arrangement.

Is Arnold a billionaire?

What is his net worth?

Multiple entertainment and wealth-profile outlets, including TheThings and ScreenRant, estimate Arnold Schwarzenegger’s net worth at approximately $450 million as of 2024.

His wealth comes from a diversified portfolio:

• Film earnings: Tens of millions per movie at his peak, including backend deals for the Terminator franchise
• Endorsements: Major deals with brands like Planet Hollywood (as a co-owner) and supplement companies
• Real estate: A $20 million+ Brentwood mansion and other properties
• Book deals and speaking engagements: Ongoing income from his memoir and public appearances

The implication: Schwarzenegger’s fortune is substantial but not billionaire-level, reflecting a career that included a decade in public service at a fraction of his Hollywood earning power.

Who is richer: Tom Cruise or Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Tom Cruise has a higher estimated net worth of around $600 million, according to the same outlets. Cruise’s wealth is heavily concentrated in his starring role in the Mission: Impossible franchise, which has grossed billions globally. Schwarzenegger’s wealth is more diversified but lower in absolute terms.

The trade-off: Schwarzenegger sacrificed peak earning years in Hollywood to serve as governor, earning a state salary of $175,000 per year. Cruise remained in private life and kept earning. The choice is stark when the numbers are compared.

Is Arnold Schwarzenegger LGBT friendly?

What has he said about same-sex marriage?

Schwarzenegger has been a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage. In 2008, he opposed California’s Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage, saying it was “unnecessary and divisive.”

Did he support LGBTQ rights as governor?

• As governor, he signed landmark pro-LGBTQ legislation, including a bill that allowed same-sex couples to register as domestic partners with full state-level rights.
• He also signed a law prohibiting discrimination in employment and housing based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
• He regularly attended Pride events and publicly urged the Republican Party to become more inclusive on LGBTQ issues.

The catch: his support for LGBTQ rights has been consistent, yet it also highlighted his willingness to break with party orthodoxy on social issues, making him a divisive figure among conservatives.

Any controversies?

His support for LGBTQ rights has been consistent and uncontroversial in public. However, some on the right have criticized him for breaking with the Republican Party on social issues, and some on the left have noted that his advocacy came after years of silence on the topic earlier in his career. No major controversies have emerged.

Why this matters: Schwarzenegger’s LGBTQ stance is one of the clearest examples of his willingness to break with party orthodoxy — a pattern that made him a uniquely unpredictable governor.

Timeline: A life in seven acts

1. 1947 — Born in Thal, Austria, to a strict police chief father
2. 1968 — Wins first Mr. Olympia title at age 20, becoming the youngest ever
3. 1977 — Marries Maria Shriver, daughter of the Kennedy family
4. 2003 — Elected Governor of California in a historic recall election
5. 2011 — Leaves governor’s office; separation from Shriver becomes public
6. 2018 — Undergoes first open-heart surgery for valve replacement
7. 2020 — Second heart valve surgery at Cleveland Clinic
8. 2021 — Divorce from Maria Shriver finalized, 10 years after separation

What we know vs. what remains unclear

In his own words

“If you rest, you rust.”

— Arnold Schwarzenegger, from his newsletter and multiple interviews on health philosophy

“To me, it doesn’t matter if you’re gay or straight. It’s about two people who love each other. They should have the right to get married.”

— Arnold Schwarzenegger, public statement on same-sex marriage

“We are very proud of our children and we are committed to co-parenting and supporting them together.”

— Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger, joint statement on their separation

What it all means

Schwarzenegger’s story is not one of clean victories. He has survived a warped heart valve, a divorcé’s decade-long limbo, and the slow fade of an action-hero career — and refused to let any of it define him. For anyone watching from the outside, the resilience is the real headline: a man who could have cashed out and coasted has instead reinvented himself as a climate advocate, a fitness evangelist, and a very public grandfather. The catch: every reinvention comes with scrutiny. For Schwarzenegger, the choice has been clear — stay visible, stay active, and let the judgments fall where they may.