Schwarzenegger and Columbu's Bricklaying Business Venture

In 1968, shortly after moving to the United States, Arnold Schwarzenegger partnered with fellow bodybuilder Franco Columbu to start a bricklaying and masonry business in Los Angeles. The venture, commonly referred to as “European Bricklayers,” focused on construction and repair work, including bricklaying, stonework, and landscaping projects. Both men had experience in manual labor, with Columbu trained as a bricklayer in Italy, and they applied those skills to build a client base in Southern California. The business gained traction through word of mouth and increased demand following the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, which created opportunities for repair and reconstruction work in the Los Angeles area. Schwarzenegger and Columbu were known for marketing themselves as reliable and physically capable workers, and their reputation helped them secure steady contracts. The income generated from the business provided Schwarzenegger with early financial stability during his initial years in the United States. Earnings from the bricklaying venture were later reinvested into real estate, forming a key part of Schwarzenegger’s broader financial strategy. By the early 1970s, these investments contributed to his accumulation of significant wealth prior to his major breakthrough in Hollywood. The 1968 launch of the masonry business marked one of his first entrepreneurial efforts after relocating to the United States and played a role in establishing his long term financial foundation.