Former California governor and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger faced a brief detainment at Munich airport when he allegedly failed to declare a €26,000 (£22,000) Audemars Piguet watch he intended to sell at an auction benefiting his climate crisis charity. Customs officers stopped Schwarzenegger upon his arrival from Los Angeles, conducting a three-hour search that revealed the undeclared watch.
Customs officials reported that the watch, a special edition made for Schwarzenegger by Audemars Piguet, should have been declared as an import. Criminal tax proceedings were initiated, resulting in a €35,000 charge, including €4,000 in tax and a €5,000 penalty. Despite Schwarzenegger’s attempt to explain that the watch was meant for donation to his charity and auction, officials insisted on the charge.
Schwarzenegger expressed frustration, stating, “This is the problem that Germany is suffering from. You can no longer see the forest for the trees.” He clarified that the watch was intended for auction at an event in Kitzbühel, Austria, to benefit the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative.
To settle the charge, German customs rules required half of the amount to be paid in cash. Schwarzenegger reportedly accompanied customs officials to a bank to withdraw the cash before being allowed to continue his journey.
The auction, hosted by Schwarzenegger, featured various lots, including a training session with the actor himself, artworks, signed exhibits, and experiences from the worlds of sports and film. Proceeds from the event were earmarked for the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, supporting climate projects globally and organising the annual Austrian World Summit climate conference in Vienna.
Schwarzenegger has been an advocate for environmental causes for over two decades, emphasising the need for “less talk, more action” in addressing pollution and climate change.
