He was the face that launched a thousand romance novels and the man who made a fortune telling us he couldn’t believe it wasn’t butter.
But at 67, Fabio Lanzoni vanished from the Hollywood limelight, trading his fame for a low-key life in isolation.
The former hunk now spends his days trading stocks, amassing a net worth of $15 million ($US10 million).
Yet, the iconic supermodel lives completely cut off from society inside a massive 500-acre forest property in Stevenson, Washington State, in the middle of nowhere.
“I have a place up in Washington State, in the middle of nowhere. Like, in the middle of a forest,” he recently told Entertainment Tonight.
“It’s beautiful and with nature and lakes and — how you get rid of your stress, you go in nature.”
The media personality purchased the sprawling compound in 2015 for an undisclosed sum.
The Italian-American also owns a separate estate in Tarzana, California, which he bought from actors Catherine Oxenberg and her then-husband Casper Van Dien for $2.1m ($US1.5m). The property is said to be worth around $5.7 million ($US4 million).
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Fabio Lanzoni in 2000. Picture: Getty Images
Lanzoni on Entertainment Tonight. Picture: YouTube/Entertainment Tonight
Despite becoming the international face of romantic fantasies, Fabio has never been married and has admitted to only having had one true love in his life.
A woman named Jennifer. They met when he was 23 and she was 19. She modelled for L’Oreal while he was blasting through his wild 20s.
“She had the biggest heart, was always there, was caring and loving,” he previously told the Washington Post. “But I was too young and too wild.”
In the late 1980s, after six years together, Fabio called it off. It is a decision he has regretted ever since.
A few years later, he tried to get back in touch with her, but Jennifer had changed her number. He sent a note through a friend, but she never responded.
“My mum, she goes, ‘Fabio, if you’re not 100 per cent that you’re going to marry her, you have to let her go,” he said.
“You can’t keep her there waiting for you. But she’s an amazing woman and you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life.’ She was right.”
Fabio Lanzoni as the face of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. Picture: Supplied
Fabio credits his strict routine for keeping him grounded after walking away from the dark side of Hollywood fame. He completely rejected the culture of Los Angeles to preserve his integrity.
“People come to Los Angeles and sell their soul every day. It’s sad. Here, the mentality is that everyone has a price. But I say no – no money can buy my soul,” he previously told The Guardian.
“I’ve had so many offers that I didn’t think were proper and I’d say sorry, I don’t need it.
“I didn’t want to work my butt off and not be happy. I’ll always choose happiness and life over all the money in the world. Across my entire career,
“I had respect in the industry, because I was the one who never sold out.”
Instead of the Hollywood party lifestyle, Fabio focuses entirely on physical fitness on his isolated estate.
“People ask if I’ve made a pact with the devil to still look like this – but I say I’ve made a pact with God,” he said.
“I go to the gym for 60 minutes at least four times a week.
“In my property, I have a very tough trail, and I do hiking and running and motocross enduro, then in the gym I do regular cardio and lift weights.”
The former hunk now spends his days trading stocks. Picture: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for IMDb
In the 1990s, Fabio was the undisputed king of global romantic fantasies, commanding millions of hearts from the covers of romance novels.
He once commanded $216,000 ($US150,000) contracts within 48 hours of landing in the US.
Speaking about the famously intimate and seductive romance novel cover shoots that made him a global household name, Fabio admitted that maintaining his composure on set wasn’t always easy.
“Oh no, you know, my Italian blood was boiling!” he laughed.
“I always tease my friend because I’m like, ‘Oh, you know, another day at the office.’ You know, today I just work with six different models. Just a regular Tuesday!
“I get paid to hang out with women and sign underwear and bras. I mean, you know, I was like, this is a dream come true.”
Interestingly, Fabio revealed he has never actually sat down to read any of the thousands of romance novels he appeared in.
When pressed on whether he ever snuck a peek at the pages inside, he admitted: “You want the truth? No. I’m a guy’s guy.”
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