Arnold Schwarzenegger has hailed Marvin Shanken as a "great friend".

The publisher and founder of M. Shanken Communications passed away on Thursday (10.29.26), aged 83, and Schwarzenegger has taken to social media to lavish him with praise, describing Shanken a "true original" who "sparked a cigar revolution that brought people together all over the world".

Alongside a throwback photograph of them together, Schwarzenegger, the former Governor of California, wrote on X: "Marvin Shanken was as a true original. He took his passion for cigars, wine and the good life and built something the whole world could share.

"When everyone told him Cigar Aficionado would fail, he did it anyway, and he sparked a cigar revolution that brought people together all over the world.

"Marvin was a visionary, a champion for charity, and a great friend. My thoughts are with Hazel and the whole family. I'll light up a stogie for Marvin tonight."

Shanken owned a roster of lifestyle publications, including Wine Spectator, Cigar Aficionado and Whisky Advocate.

He was known for interviewing a series of high-profile public figures - including Schwarzenegger, Michael Jordan, Jack Nicholson, Hugh Jackman, Robert De Niro and Tom Selleck - for Cigar Aficionado, a lifestyle magazine dedicated to enjoying the "good life" and the world of cigars.

Shanken's passing was announced on the Cigar Aficionado website.

A statement read: "Marvin R. Shanken, the founder of M. Shanken Communications Inc. and the editor and publisher of Cigar Aficionado magazine, died on October 29. He was 83 years old.

"Over a five-decade career, Shanken dramatically shaped the cigar world, as well as the wine, spirits, beer and restaurant industries. His impact on cigars was particularly noteworthy, as he helped transform the once-floundering American cigar business, triggering a newfound appreciation for the pleasures of smoking handmade cigars."

The page also featured an excerpt from an interview that Shanken gave to Cigar Aficionado for the magazine's 30th anniversary.

He said: "With Cigar Aficionado, I think people make an emotional connection. They may not read every page but they're interested in what's on every page. And they have a thirst to learn more ... As long as my reader wants to learn, we're there to serve."