Paul John Teutul (born May 1, 1949) is the founder of Orange County Choppers, a manufacturer of custom motorcycles and the focus of the reality television series American Chopper. He first appeared on the show with his sons Paul Jr. and Michael. In 2013, his new show Orange County Choppers premiered on CMT.[1]
Paul Teutul | |
|---|---|
 Teutul in 2016 | |
| Born | Paul John Teutul May 1, 1949 Yonkers, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Motorcycle designer and builder |
| Known for | |
| Spouses |
|
| Partner | Joan Bulger-Kay (2011–present) |
| Children | 4, including Paul Teutul and Michael |
Early life
editTeutul was born in Yonkers, New York and grew up in Pearl River, New York. He enlisted as a member of the United States Merchant Marine during the Vietnam War.[2]
Career
editTeutul originally began with Orange County Ironworks, a fabrication shop now solely owned and managed by son Daniel Teutul.[3] He began building custom bikes as a hobby after being inspired by the many custom bikes appearing on the streets and in films.[4] In 1999, he left and founded Orange County Choppers. He began building bikes that quickly made their way to magazine covers, and center stage at every major motorcycle event. OCC landed on the hit reality show American Chopper.
Family
editIn addition to Paul Jr. and Mikey Teutul, Paul Sr. has two other children: Christin Teutul and Daniel 'Dan' Teutul. Dan Teutul took over Orange County Ironworks when his father started building more bikes than buildings. His daughter Christin is a nurse in New York City who works in pediatrics. Paul Sr. has seven grandchildren.
Teutul's regular arguments with his son Paul Jr. became a routine occurrence during episodes of American Chopper. These vocal disagreements eventually led to Paul Jr. being fired in September 2008.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Orange County Choppers Kicks Off CMT Bike Week With 2-Hour Special Sunday". Pilgrimstudios.com. Pilgrim Studios, Inc. August 15, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- ^ "Paul Teutul - Transcript - I am CNBC - CNBC". CNBC. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
- ^ "'American Chopper': Meet Paul Teutul's Son, Dan, Who Took Over Father's Original Building Company". Archived from the original on March 5, 2024.
- ^ "Paul Teutul Sr from bikermatchmaking.com". Archived from the original on November 26, 2005.
- ^ Starr, Michael (June 3, 2020). "Feuding 'American Chopper' Teutuls build first bike together since 2008". New York Post. Retrieved April 5, 2022.