The wristwatch that put Arnold Schwarzenegger in custody at Munich Airport on Wednesday brought in €270,000 ($294,000) for his charity, the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, following its sale at an Austrian dinner.
Along with many other visionaries of climate action, US Climate Envoy John Kerry attended the event, which raised a total of €1.31 million. There were also auctions for original jewelry and works of art.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s undeclared watch fetches $294K at climate auction
“I see the progress that has been made in the continuous battle against pollution. We’ve gone a very long way. “There are so many people here today to contribute to the solution,” Arnold Schwarzenegger remarked during the dinner. “I want to thank everyone who has supported me in my fight against pollution.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger is facing criminal tax proceedings for failing to declare the Audemars Piguet watch to customs officers in Munich after he got off a flight from Los Angeles, a Munich Customs press officer told CNN Wednesday.
“He did not declare a product. A product that was imported from non-EU countries in order to remain in the EU. And this process applies to everyone,” press officer Thomas Meister said.
Meister said the former California governor and “Terminator” star was released and traveled on after being held for over two hours.
The actor agreed to pre-pay potential taxes on the watch but the officers failed to get a credit card machine to work for an hour until they gave up and brought him to a bank and asked him to withdraw cash from an ATM to pay, a source close to the actor told CNN.
The ATM they brought him to had a limit that was too low, and the bank was closed. When he returned, a new officer brought a new credit card machine that worked, the source added
Source: CNN