The fate of Meinhard Schwarzenegger - Arnie's older brother, who was considered more talented

Everyone knows Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bodybuilder, actor, governor of California - his biography has become an example of how iron willpower and hard work help to reach unprecedented heights. Therefore, many will be surprised by the fact that in childhood and adolescence, the family did not have high hopes for Arnie. The parents' favorite was the elder brother of the future star, Meinhard Schwarzenegger.

Father and mother prophesied a great future for their first-born, Meinhard, but they treated their youngest son more coolly. Arnold was fixated on training since his school years and was not interested in practically anything other than sports. Meinhard was two years older than his brother and grew up to be a more versatile person. He was also seriously interested in bodybuilding, but at the same time he was a real erudite and had many hobbies.

Today it sounds strange, but in his youth Meinhard was more successful than his brother even in iron sports. His physique was distinguished by massiveness and excellent relief. Considering that he was taller than his brother, Arnie looked rather pale compared to him. The parents did not even hide the fact that they treated Meinhard better. The boys' father, a policeman, in every possible way fueled the rivalry between his sons. Sometimes he simply teased Arnold, admiring his brother and ignoring his younger son's successes.

This attitude towards your child seems terrible. But who knows, perhaps if everything had been different, Arnold would not have been so motivated and would not have reached his heights. Despite all these circumstances, the relationship between the brothers was very warm. They were connected by true friendship and joint training in the gym contributed to maximum cohesion.

Over time, Meinhard lost interest in bodybuilding. He decided that education was more important and decided to go to university. In addition, by the age of 21, the elder already had a girlfriend, Erica Knapp, who bore him a child. But quite unexpectedly, the life of a sensible and intelligent guy went downhill.

It was as if Meinhard had been replaced. He began to drink, systematically break the law, and eventually ended up in a correctional facility. After his release, he no longer remembered the university and led a wild lifestyle. Even the birth of his son Patrick had no effect on him. The baby was only three years old when his father, while driving drunk, had an accident and died.

This happened on May 20, 1971. Arnold at this time no longer lived in Europe - he was in full swing building a career in the States. He learned about Meinhard’s death while preparing for the Mr. Olympia competition. The athlete faced a difficult choice - to go to Munich to say goodbye to his brother, or to compete at the championship, which he had been working toward for many years. Arnold chose the latter.

Subsequently, journalists often recalled this episode of the biography of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Some accused the bodybuilder of being heartless, while others justified him. They said that he had an expired visa, which did not allow him to leave, and there were also rumors that Arnie was hospitalized before the competition.

Arnie himself admitted many years later that he himself decided not to go to the funeral. He had a goal to become Mr. Olympia, and he could not give it up even for the sake of his brother. By the way, when his father, Gustav Schwarzenegger, died a year later, Arnold also decided not to go, because he was as passionate as possible about his career. He said the following about Meinhard's death in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter:

But you shouldn't accuse Arnold of being callous. He took custody of his nephew Patrick and his late brother's wife. He paid for the boy’s studies and helped his mother with money for many years. Patrick often visited his uncle, who treated him like a son. It is possible that it was thanks to the tutelage of Arnold Schwarzenegger that he achieved success in life and became a major entrepreneur.