Money can’t buy true happiness, so despite a $400 million fortune, Arnold Schwarzenegger lives a low-key life on his farm

In addition to being a celebrity, 75-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger is also in charge of managing his home and caring for his pets. The actor also landed the part of grandfather.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s estimated net worth in 2021 was $400 million, according to reports. Due to his fortune, he is able to reside in the Pacific Palisades region of Los Angeles, where he owns a mansion with views of the canyons and Pacific Ocean.

The “Terminator” actor and his family have been residing in the Mediterranean-style house for some time. Situated in one of the most elite gated neighborhoods in the city, the property encompasses over 2.5 acres.

Arnold Schwarzenegger during the Digital X event on September 7, 2021, in Cologne, Germany | Source: Getty Images

When his five children, Joseph Baena, Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher Schwarzenegger, come to visit, the home can accommodate them all with its seven bedrooms and baths. There are more breathtaking details throughout the Golden Globe Award nominee’s home.

It features multiple living rooms, a private gym, a chef’s kitchen, entertainment spaces, and much more. The house features a large swimming pool with a spa, a duck pond, and a tennis court outside. Additionally, it has a private patio and balconies with views of the mountains and beach.

There is ample space on the estate for the actor to establish a stable in the back of the property with his pets, Whiskey the pony and Lulu the small donkey.

The “Predator” actor’s home also features entertaining areas and patio furniture. Pets are welcome in his backyard, where they are free to roam the spacious field.

The Schwarzenegger children at the "Terminator: Salvation" Los Angeles premiere on May 14, 2009, in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images

Arnold opened his house to the public in 2020 while COVID-19 was on lockdown. That year, when the pandemic quarantine started, the actor posted a video of himself chilling out in the kitchen with Lulu and Whiskey. The vast green field was visible from his rear terrace. Rain or shine, the actor could enjoy the outdoors in his lounge area.

The “Total Recall” actor moved to a nearby location from the family home to be nearer to his kids following his divorce from Maria Shriver.

Even though Arnold was quite wealthy, he nevertheless managed many aspects of his household on his own. With his ex-wife, Mildred Baena, he had Joseph and Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher.

Arnold’s Typical Day-to-Day Activities
Arnold posted a picture of himself carrying a loaded trolley at a Walmart on Facebook in 2014. The actor described how he got an idea after going to the shop and noticing his Muscle Pharm Arnold Series items on the shelves.

He made the decision to issue a challenge to his followers: discover the product in the store, snap pictures, and send them to him. He would then upload the best ones.

Arnold had previously been seen shopping at the retail store. Just by being there, the former governor of California incited chaos at a Walmart in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2011. While filming there, he tweeted that he had left around two in the morning to grab some nutritious snacks.

The actor reportedly published a snapshot of his check-in location and spent $300 on warm garments for his crew. He also expressed gratitude to the Walmart staff for their help.

Arnold revealed his morning ritual on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in February 2022. He disclosed that he would up early, maybe at 5:45 or 6 a.m., in order to tend to his “complaining animals.”

He fed his animals for the first hour because Lulu would “scream” if she wasn’t attended to and let out of her stall. Before he returned the animals to their stables, they would run around on the grass.

In addition to Whiskey and Lulu, the actor owns a large dog named Dutch, who would howl for food and attack his toes if left unfed! The celebrity revealed in a comical way that his neighbors would be awakened by the commotion of the animals if he didn’t feed them!

Ironically, Whiskey and Lulu are welcome guests in the house, where he feeds them oatmeal cookies in the kitchen since Arnold finds the “farmer’s chores” enjoyable and soothing.

Even though the cookies were intended for horses, the actor offers them to the dogs when they become envious! Additionally, he admitted to Jimmy Kimmel that the cookies were so delicious that he ate them!

Arnold disclosed that guests may find the situation peculiar as the dogs would pounce on them and Lulu would run around the home! He recalled his cousin’s arrival just before Christmas in 2021, during which she was taken aback since she was unaware that his animals were staying at the house!

When Lulu shouted and raced inside the house demanding cookies, the cousin was taken aback. His shocked relative questioned why the animal was in the house and not the stable after the actor spoke to it calmly.

Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt screamed out anytime Lyla was touched, according to Arnold Schwarzenegger, since she thought he was cradling the infant incorrectly.

The celebrity became wealthy not only from performing but also from modeling, politics, bodybuilding, and commercial ventures. But when he accepted certain people into his life, everything changed.

How Did Being a Grandfather Affect Arnold’s Life?
When Katherine and her husband, Chris Pratt, welcomed their second child, Eloise Christina, in 2022, Arnold became a grandfather twice over. The actor mentioned how simple it was to play the part and gave an explanation.

He would play with his oldest granddaughter, Lyla Maria, for an hour or two when she came to visit. After two hours of visiting, he put her on the horse, they played with the dog, and the child and her parents would depart!

The actor claimed to love their visits and to be very proud of his daughter, even though he believes Chris to be a wonderful man. Additionally, he enjoys spending time with his granddaughter, son-in-law, and daughter when they visit because:

“Every room in the house lights up when they arrive.”

The “Twins” actor claimed in 2021 that Lyla had paid him multiple visits at his Los Angeles residence. He thought the young girl would make an excellent horseback rider when she got to sit on Whiskey and Lulu.

He claimed that his daughter was the diaper changing specialist and that he had never changed his granddaughter’s. Arnold told how Katherine would get really uncomfortable anytime Lyla was touched because she thought he was holding the baby incorrectly, but he would counter that he had done it before and found the whole argument entertaining!

I Noticed Something Strange About the Chef at My Friend’s Dinner Party – What I Found in the Oven Left Everyone Stunned

It was a perfect evening with fine wine, soft jazz, and dinner at my best friend’s place. But something about the chef she’d hired felt wrong. He kept stealing nervous glances at the oven, never letting anyone near. When I somehow opened it, what I found inside turned the evening into a nightmare.

The candlelight flickered across crystal glasses, casting soft shadows on the meticulously arranged china. Jazz whispered from hidden speakers, a delicate backdrop to an evening that promised sophistication and celebration. I watched my best friend Clara, radiant in her emerald silk dress, her eyes sparkling with the pride of her recent promotion to law firm partner.

But none of us knew that beneath the surface of this seemingly perfect evening, something sinister was waiting.

A woman holding a glass of wine | Source: Pexels

A woman holding a glass of wine | Source: Pexels

It was 9:45 p.m. The dinner party hummed with elegant conversation, crystal glasses clinked, and soft jazz played in the background. But there, in the kitchen, something felt different. And wrong.

I’d known Clara for years, and I’d seen countless dinner parties. But this was different.

The private chef she’d hired moved with an intensity that didn’t match the casual celebration. His slightly salt-and-pepper long hair was perfectly combed, his white chef’s coat crisp and immaculate.

But beneath the professional exterior, something else simmered. He was acting quite… strange.

A chef in the kitchen | Source: Pexels

A chef in the kitchen | Source: Pexels

My hand trembled slightly as I held out the wine glass. The chef’s fingers brushed mine. Cold. Unnaturally cold. A shiver ran down my spine.

“More Cabernet?” he asked, his smile not reaching his eyes.

I nodded, unable to look away. When he poured the wine, his hand didn’t shake. Not even a millimeter. He was too perfect. Too controlled. But something felt very, very wrong.

Clara’s distant laughter echoed through the room. The sound seemed to trigger something in the chef. His eyes kept flicking to the oven like a nervous tick. Not just a glance. It was a full-body twitch that screamed something was wrong.

Whenever a guest drifted too close to the kitchen, he’d slide into position like a human blockade and stop them from entering.

An oven | Source: Pexels

An oven | Source: Pexels

Another guest approached for a drink. He bolted to the kitchen and immediately blocked them, muttering a vague excuse I couldn’t hear. Maybe he thought nobody would notice. But I did.

I was watching his every move.

My skin prickled. Something was hidden in that kitchen. Something he didn’t want anyone to see. Every few minutes, his eyes would dart to the oven. Quick. Nervous. A gesture that screamed something was hidden.

“Enjoying the party?” he asked suddenly, turning to me.

I simply nodded, gripping my wine glass harder as my knuckles turned white.

Something was fishy. Not the kind you can explain, but the type that sets your nerves on fire.

An anxious woman | Source: Midjourney

An anxious woman | Source: Midjourney

The night was young. And something told me this was just the beginning.

Just then, Clara’s phone buzzed, interrupting the tranquil atmosphere. She excused herself, mumbling something about an urgent work call, and retreated to a quieter corner.

Perfect.

I waited. Counted three heartbeats.

“I’ll just grab more wine,” I muttered to Terry, Clara’s fiancé, who barely acknowledged me, deep in conversation about some corporate merger with another guest.

I casually strolled toward the small bar area near the kitchen as the chef was engrossed in plating appetizers. He didn’t notice as I slipped closer to the kitchen, which seemed to shrink with each step. The oven loomed larger.

He didn’t hear me. Didn’t sense me.

A chef plating a dish | Source: Pexels

A chef plating a dish | Source: Pexels

My hand reached for the wine bottle. But my eyes? Locked on that industrial-sized oven.

Something was in there. Was he hiding something? But what?

My heart raced. Sweat beaded on my forehead.

The kitchen gleamed like a sterile operating room. Stainless steel surfaces reflected my nervous frame. Everything was too perfect. Too clean. The kind of clean that screams something’s dangerously ominous.

The chef continued arranging the appetizers, unaware I was in the kitchen… his carefully restricted area. I moved slowly. Each step was measured. Deliberate.

The oven called to me. Not with warmth. Not with the promise of a delicious meal. But with a magnetic pull of something forbidden.

A nervous woman looking at someone | Source: Midjourney

A nervous woman looking at someone | Source: Midjourney

One gentle pull and the door creaked open. The smell hit me first. Not roasted meat. Not herbs. But something acrid. Like something burning.

My breath caught in my throat. It wasn’t a meal.

“OH MY GOD… IT CAN’T BE!” I shrieked, coughing.

Crumpled envelopes smoldered in the oven. Some burned at the edges, others miraculously intact. Clara’s handwriting… those elegant loops and curves I’d seen a thousand times, peeked through the charred papers like ghostly whispers.

And there. Right in the center… was a jewelry box.

The one from her engagement party. The one Terry had presented with such drama and love all those months ago. It was now sitting among burned memories, its edges blackened and singed.

A woman flaunting her engagement ring | Source: Unsplash

A woman flaunting her engagement ring | Source: Unsplash

My fingers hovered over the papers. One envelope remained, partially burned. Clara’s distinctive cursive script was still visible through the char.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” A voice cut through the kitchen like a surgical blade. Cold. Precise. Loaded with something deeper than mere surprise.

I didn’t move. Didn’t flinch. Instead, I turned slowly, my heart pounding.

The chef stood there, no longer the charming professional who had been entertaining guests. His eyes now bore the intensity of a predator caught mid-hunt.

“I think the better question is… what are YOU doing?”

A startled woman | Source: Midjourney

A startled woman | Source: Midjourney

Behind me, the oven door hung open like a portal to secrets to something dark. Something that was never meant to be discovered.

The chef’s eyes darted, a sinister calculation racing behind those eyes. One wrong move. One wrong word… and everything would shatter.

“What the hell is going on over here?” I screamed, loud enough for everyone to hear. In an instant, the kitchen transformed into a pressure cooker of tension.

Puzzled guests pressed forward with a growing sense of something terrifyingly unknown.

An extremely startled woman | Source: Midjourney

An extremely startled woman | Source: Midjourney

Terry’s hand trembled violently, as he broke the silence, his finger pointing at the open oven.

“Is that… our engagement ring box?” he gasped.

Clara bolted inside and stood frozen like a statue.

“And those are my personal letters,” she breathed. “My private photographs. Why do YOU have them?”

A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney

A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney

A laugh escaped the chef’s lips as he took off his apron and hurled it on the floor. But it wasn’t a laugh of humor. It was the sound of something gravely sinister.

“You don’t remember me, do you, Clara?”

The way he said her name. It made everyone’s skin crawl.

Clara’s eyes — those razor-sharp eyes that could dissect complex legal arguments in seconds — now looked fragile. Uncertain. For the first time, she looked small.

“Who are you?” She shrieked, trembling.

A man smiling | Source: Midjourney

A man smiling | Source: Midjourney

The man took a step forward. Then another. Each step felt like a countdown to something inevitable. Something that had been years in the making.

The guests held their breath as the air grew thick and suffocating. And nobody in that room was prepared for what was coming.

“Why do you have my letters? My photos?! Why did you destroy them?” Clara’s voice shattered the silence.

Timothy, one of the guests, leaned forward. His trembling fingers pulled out a partially burned photograph of Clara and Terry, caught in a moment of pure happiness during their engagement.

“He’s been stealing from you,” he said, the pieces clicking together like a grotesque puzzle. “These letters, these mementos… they’re yours, aren’t they?”

A man pointing a finger | Source: Pexels

A man pointing a finger | Source: Pexels

Clara nodded. Her fury burned brighter than the smoldering papers in the oven. “Why? What the hell is this about?”

The chef’s laugh was like broken glass. “You really don’t remember me, do you?”

The room held its breath. Tension coiled like a snake ready to strike.

“I’m ADRIAN!” he revealed. “Your ex-boyfriend. The man you discarded. The one you thought was gone.”

Clara staggered back. “No. This can’t be. I heard Adrian died in an accident two years ago.”

“An accident YOU caused!” he roared, years of anger erupting in that single moment.

A terrified woman | Source: Midjourney

A terrified woman | Source: Midjourney

His finger pointed at her. Accusatory. Painful. “You left me. Broke me. I couldn’t function. Couldn’t breathe. And then came the crash that almost took my breath away.”

He touched his face. Traced the lines of surgical scars hidden beneath his professional chef’s demeanor.

“Skin grafts,” he whispered. “Surgeries. Numerous procedures. I’m not the man I was. But I’m here. ALIVE. My heart burning with a desire for REVENGE.”

The guests exchanged horrified glances, unable to process what they were hearing.

Terry stepped forward, his eyes boring into Adrian’s. “What the hell is going on here?” he demanded.

A stunned man holding his head | Source: Midjourney

A stunned man holding his head | Source: Midjourney

Adrian’s smile was a knife’s edge. “CLOSURE. Clara moved on so effortlessly… a new job, a new life, a new love. Meanwhile, I’ve been left to rot. So, I decided, if I can’t have happiness, neither can she. Those letters, those photos, that ring… all symbols of her perfect new life. I wanted to burn them, just like she burned our past.”

Clara’s face was etched with pain, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Adrian, I didn’t cause your accident. Leaving you was the hardest decision of my life. You were… you were unbearable. I had to save myself.”

“Save yourself? And what about me? Did you even consider the consequences of your actions?”

A furious man | Source: Midjourney

A furious man | Source: Midjourney

“That’s enough,” Terry yelled, his patience wearing thin. “I’m calling the police.”

Soon, sirens wailed in the distance. And the night was far from over.

The red and blue lights painted the elegant dining room in a surreal dance of color. Adrian sat silently in the back of the police car, his eyes never leaving Clara. Not with anger. Not with hatred. But with a chilling intensity that spoke of something deeper. Unresolved. And ominous.

Clara collapsed into the chair, her designer dress pooling around her like a broken dream. The pristine white walls suddenly felt suffocating.

“How?” she whispered. “How did he find me?”

A confused woman | Source: Midjourney

A confused woman | Source: Midjourney

Her hand trembled. I squeezed it, feeling the fragility beneath her usually rock-solid exterior.

Terry stood nearby, protective and still confused, trying to understand how someone from Clara’s past could infiltrate their perfect life so completely.

“He was patient,” I said softly. “Waiting. Planning.”

Clara’s eyes were distant and haunted.

Outside, the police car’s taillights disappeared into the darkness. Taking Adrian. Taking the immediate threat. But something told me that this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

Police cars on the street | Source: Unsplash

Police cars on the street | Source: Unsplash

The dinner party’s elegant setup looked like a crime scene. Champagne glasses. Half-eaten appetizers. Scattered memories. A celebration of Clara’s professional success had become something else entirely. A nightmare served on fine china.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the what-ifs. What if I hadn’t been curious? What if the oven door had remained closed? What twisted plan might have unfolded? What else had he come for?

Some wounds don’t heal. They wait. Patient. Dangerous. Ready to be reopened.

And some ghosts? They don’t just haunt memories. Sometimes… they cook your dinner, in disguise.

A woman lost in deep thought | Source: Midjourney

A woman lost in deep thought | Source: Midjourney

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

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