Arnold Schwarzenegger has been fined €35,000 after he was detained at Munich airport and questioned “under tax law” about an unregistered luxury watch he planned to auction, according to German media.
The Terminator actor, 76, was told to pay half the customs fee in cash and was escorted by an officer to withdraw the huge sum from a bank. BIL reports.
His 49-year-old girlfriend Heather Milligan and a friend – both of whom had accompanied him on a flight from Los Angeles this afternoon – were not allowed to go to the bank with him, the German tabloid also reported.
The film star, who has dual Austrian and American citizenship, was pictured with customs officials this afternoon and is said to have waited with authorities for three hours before being released.
Before he was released, a customs official said that “the guard will probably have to remain.” Arnie does would have been on its way to a climate charity auction to be held tomorrow in Kitzbühel, Austria.
The Terminator actor, 76, was seen with a box in a customs office at Munich airport, in a photo obtained by BILD
As the news emerged, the former bodybuilder shared a bizarre Instagram photo in which he apparently shared a cookie with his pig
American-Austrian actor, businessman, retired bodybuilder and former governor of California speaking at the opening of the 2023 Austrian World Summit
The watch is said to be a valuable timepiece made for him by the Swiss luxury brand Audemars Piguet.
The passionate climate activist planned to auction it during a dinner on Thursday, BILD reports.
Shortly after news of his run-in at customs broke, the former bodybuilder shared a bizarre Instagram photo of himself apparently sharing a cookie with his pig.
Spokesman for Munich's main customs office, Thomas Meister, said taxes should have been paid on the watch because Schwarzenegger planned to sell it in the European Union.
'If the goods remain in the EU, you must declare them to customs. This applies to everyone, whether their name is Schwarzenegger or Müller, Meier or Huber,” a customs spokesperson told the German newspaper ZZ.
The former governor of California reportedly told BILD that the watch was intended to be auctioned for charity.
'This is the problem that Germany is facing. You can no longer see the forest for the trees,” he reportedly told the newspaper.
The ex-politician is known for his love of striking watches and released his own limited edition model with Audemars Piguet in 1999.
Only 1,500 of the Royal Oak Offshore 'Arnold Schwarzenegger The Legacy' pieces were ever produced and they retail for over £30,000.
The file image shows Arnold Schwarzenegger holding an Audemars Piguet watch that was included in an auction in 2003
Schwarzenegger released his own limited edition model with Audemars Piguet in 1999
The auction list of the exclusive watch
His extensive collection of watches is also said to include pieces from Rolex and other luxury brands.
It is not known which exact timepiece from his collection he may have owned.
The Austrian-born actor was also on his way to watch the Hahnenkamm Race, a major event on the alpine skiing calendar.
He runs the Vienna-based charity The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, an eco-group that raises money at a party during the prestigious race week.