Portrait photo of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
In 1968, after he moved to the United States, the Austrian-born athlete began looking for ways to support himself in the foreign country where bodybuilding offered comparatively little reward. But an earthquake in 1971 brought an increase in demand, and the business later became an important part of Schwarzenegger’s journey, alongside bodybuilding exhibitions, fitness-related sales and subsequent real estate development. At 20, he became the youngest winner of the Mr Universe title at the time, thus establishing himself as a promising athlete. Schwarzenegger later, in an interview with author Tim Ferriss in 2018, shared that Columbu’s construction experience gave them an opportunity to earn money outside bodybuilding. On February 9, 1971, the San Fernando earthquake, which is also known as the Sylmar earthquake, struck Southern California. In the interview, Schwarzenegger shared that they employed 16 different bodybuilders across several construction jobs during the business’s operation. In the 2018 interview, he shared that he had saved around $27,000 by 1974. He later borrowed another $10,000 from bodybuilding entrepreneur Joe Weider for the down payment on a six-unit apartment building in Santa Monica. The building was sold around two and a half years later for $365,000, according to Schwarzenegger. The Austrian-born actor made his feature-film debut in Hercules in New York in 1970. Conan the Barbarian became his major international breakthrough, which was followed by James Cameron’s The Terminator in 1984.
Before Arnold Schwarzenegger became an internationally recognised and well-loved Hollywood star and California’s 38th governor, he was earning his living through construction work. During this time, he was also pursuing competitive bodybuilding. Schwarzenegger’s friendship with Franco Columbu , who was a fellow bodybuilder, eventually led him to a small bricklaying and masonry business in California. Initially, the duo reportedly took on residential construction and repair jobs. Born in Thal, Austria, Schwarzenegger developed an interest in bodybuilding when he was a teenager. Schwarzenegger later brought Italian bodybuilder Franco Columbu with him to America with help from bodybuilding entrepreneur Joe Weider. The former California governor shared that, as they both were not making much from bodybuilding competitions, they decided to establish a small masonry business and accepted residential jobs. The duo started by building and repairing walls, patios, fireplaces and other structures at people’s homes. Schwarzenegger participated in the work and handled business responsibilities such as measurements, estimates, negotiations and customer interactions, while Columbu brought in the professional masonry experience. The pair had also devised a marketing strategy that would distinguish them from other contractors. In the interview with Tim Ferriss, Schwarzenegger recalled that they had advertised in the Los Angeles Times as European bricklayers and masonry experts, promoting European-style fireplaces and chimneys. This strategy helped them to gain interest from the public, especially at a time when European craftsmanship had gained commercial appeal in the United States. The earthquake damaged buildings and infrastructure. The bodybuilder recalled that their company began receiving hundreds of calls on the telephone from people seeking estimates for damaged chimneys, walls, fireplaces and patios. To manage the additional workload, they recruited other bodybuilders from their gym. The recruited workers helped the partners complete repair and rebuild projects while continuing to train for bodybuilding competitions. Schwarzenegger did not limit himself to the bricklaying business. He also developed a mail-order business selling fitness-related products and instructional material, thus using his growing popularity in bodybuilding to attract customers. His bodybuilding gigs alongside his construction earnings, seminars and mail-order activities helped him accumulate savings. He reinvested the proceeds in larger apartment buildings and expanded into other property ventures. He had debuted originally under the name Arnold Strong. He later received a Golden Globe for New Male Star of the Year for his role in Stay Hungry . These films solidified his place in the Hollywood industry, making him one of the most recognised stars internationally.
Columbu had previously developed bricklaying skills in Italy and Germany. On the other hand, his acting career had actually started before the expansion of the bricklaying business.
