For decades, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone have battled for the top spot. Between them, they have starred in dozens of films, earned billions at the box office, and built business empires.

After years of countless races to the top, let's find out today who managed to retire with a large sum of money.

Arnold Schwarzenegger vs. Sylvester Stallone: Who Is Richer?

Both Hollywood legends defined the action movie era with movies like The Terminator, Rocky, Rambo, and Predator. Their rivalry is considered one of Hollywood’s most iconic feuds.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

With an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion, Schwarzenegger is among the richest stars in Hollywood. While his movies like The Terminator, Predator, and True Lies generated hundreds of millions in box office returns, his real wealth comes from outside cinema.

Long before becoming a global movie star, Schwarzenegger was already a millionaire through investing in Los Angeles real estate during the 1970s.

He bought several apartment buildings, which eventually evolved into a massive property portfolio worth well into nine figures. He also expanded into production houses, fitness businesses (obviously), publishing ventures, and branding deals.

His movie salaries were equally impressive. Although the first Terminator movies earned him a meager $75,000 in salaries, over time, his movies ended up earning him nearly $500 million in salaries alone.

His average movie salary ranged between $20 million and $30 million, which was justified since his movies earned a total of over $4.5 billion worldwide.

Sylvester Stallone

Although nowhere near his Austrian counterpart, Stallone is still counted among the richest action stars in Hollywood ever, with an estimated net worth of around $400 million in 2026.

“I got ten net points. It was probably the first and last time anyone ever saw those pay off,” Stallone Stallone once told Variety, when talking about one of his biggest earners. “I got $35,000 for the first one. The screenplay was about $25,000."

His base salaries went up from $75,000, $120,000, $12 million, to $15 million, respectively, until Rocky V.

Besides Rocky, Stallone's movie portfolio includes blockbusters like Rambo and The Expendables franchises. Unlike many of his peers, he frequently served as writer, producer, and director on his projects, which allowed him to claim larger profit shares.

Arnie and Sly's Joint Venture

Then, after years of feuding with Schwarzenegger, the two had an opportunity to collaborate when their attorney, Jake Bloom, offered them the opportunity to do business together.

It was the time when Schwarzenegger was doing business with Robert Earl and Keith Barish to create the Planet Hollywood franchise in 1991.

“Sure enough, we made it work. And Bruce Willis became part of Planet Hollywood, Whoopi Goldberg became part of Planet Hollywood, Chuck Norris… It really was kind of an international cast,” Arnold Schwarzenegger told Andy Cohen.

Verdict

Looking at the numbers, it is clear that Arnold Schwarzenegger is light-years ahead of Stallone when it comes to financial wealth, but when it comes to star power, cultural impact, and a long-lasting legacy, the two will always stand on the same pedestal.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore