Patrick Mario Knapp-Schwarzenegger (born February 2, 1968) also known as Patrick Knapp, is an Austrian-American attorney, businessman, and investor based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Early life

Patrick Mario Knapp-Schwarzenegger was born on February 2, 1968, in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

. He is the only child of Erika Knapp and Meinhard Schwarzenegger, elder brother and only sibling of

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

. In 1971, Patrick’s father died in a car accident in

Kitzbühel Kitzbühel (, also: ; ) is a town rights, medieval town situated in the Kitzbühel Alps along the river Kitzbüheler Ache in Tyrol (state), Tyrol, Austria, about east of the state capital Innsbruck and is the administrative centre of the Kitzbüh ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, when he was three years old. Patrick was raised by his mother and grandparents in Austria and Germany. In 1981, at age 13, he moved to Portugal; first, to Beja, where he played football and after, to

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

, Portugal, where he played football for S.L. Benfica and attended the German School of Lisbon. In 1987, Patrick graduated with a German

Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...

high school diploma and then emigrated to the United States to attend college with the help of his uncle, Arnold.

Career

In 1991, Knapp-Schwarzenegger graduated from the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

with degrees in economics and political science and briefly worked for Congressman Lee H. Hamilton (D-Indiana), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Between 1992 and 1995 Knapp-Schwarzenegger attended law school, graduating in May 1995 with a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from the University of Southern California School of Law. His legal experience includes work in the Sony Music legal department in New York under the helm of

Tommy Mottola Thomas Daniel Mottola (born July 14, 1948) is an American businessman, record executive, television producer, theater producer, film producer, investor, and serial entrepreneur. Mottola is the chairman of Mottola Media Group, co-founder of Nter ...

in 1994, and during his last year of law school Knapp-Schwarzenegger worked at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. That same year he was admitted to practice law in California and joined the Beverly Hills based entertainment law firm Bloom, Dekom & Hergott (in its latest incarnation known as GSB), becoming a partner in 2001. In 2020, Knapp-Schwarzenegger (as a partner of GSB) merged with Stone, Genow, Smelkinson, & Christopher, LLP, to form legal powerhouse GGSSC, LLP, which represents some of the top talent in Hollywood. In 2017, Knapp-Schwarzenegger served as an advisor to his uncle Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Season 8 of the

Mark Burnett James Mark Burnett (born 17 July 1960) is a British television producer who has won thirteen Emmy Awards including ten Primetime, one Sports Emmy Award and two Daytime Emmy Awards. His other accolades include five Producers Guild of America A ...

-produced NBC television show ''

The New Celebrity Apprentice ''The New Celebrity Apprentice'' (also known simply as ''The Apprentice'') is the eighth and final installment of the reality game show '' The Celebrity Apprentice'', thus making it the fifteenth and final installment of '' The Apprentice'' as a ...

'', with some of the other advisors being

Tyra Banks Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also known as BanX, is an American model, television personality, producer, writer, and actress. Born in Inglewood, California, she began her career as a model at the age of 15 and was the first Black A ...

Warren Buffett Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American investor and philanthropist who currently serves as the chairman and CEO of the conglomerate holding company Berkshire Hathaway. As a result of his investment success, Buffett is ...

Jessica Alba Jessica Marie Alba ( ; born April 28, 1981) is an American actress and businesswoman. She began her acting career at age 13 in ''Camp Nowhere'', followed up by ''The Secret World of Alex Mack'' (both 1994), and rose to prominence at age 19 as ...

, and

Steve Ballmer Steven Anthony Ballmer (; March 24, 1956) is an American businessman and investor who served as chief executive officer of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014. He is the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He i ...

. Knapp-Schwarzenegger served as a producer on various productions, including Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Wonders of the Sea, Deals and Visions, and the Kate Winslet narrated award winning Dreamscapes. Knapp-Schwarzenegger is also known to be active as investor and shareholder in various startup companies such as the international award-winning premium tequila brand Padre Azul and E-mobility innovator Kreisel Electric. In 2022, Kreisel Electric was acquired by US based and New York Stock Exchange traded John Deere, representing one of the largest Austrian M&A transactions of that year.

Personal life

In 1999, Knapp-Schwarzenegger's mother Erika Knapp died at the age of 53 following a two-year battle with cancer. On April 30, 2005, Knapp-Schwarzenegger married Bliss Ellis, a publicist and former model from Texas. The couple resides in Los Angeles with their four children: Valentina, Franziska, Leonardo, and Mario. In 2006, Knapp-Schwarzenegger became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Before he gained his U.S. citizenship, he asked the Austrian government for the right to keep his Austrian citizenship, as they do not usually allow dual citizenship; his request was granted.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwarzenegger, Patrick M. Knapp 1968 births Living people 20th-century Austrian businesspeople 21st-century Austrian businesspeople 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesspeople Austrian investors American investors Austrian lawyers American lawyers Austrian people of Czech descent American people of Austrian descent American people of Czech descent Businesspeople from Los Angeles California lawyers Austrian emigrants to the United States Naturalized citizens of the United States Schwarzenegger family