Paul Teutul Sr. From ‘American Chopper’ Looks Transformed In His 70s

Jun 30, 2022

Everyone has a show that’s their guilty pleasure. For many people, reality shows tend to be the ones you either love or hate – or love to hate. They are typically full of drama surrounding what is usually a relatively simple plot while giving great insight into the lives of the main stars.

One of these shows was “American Chopper.” The TV series first aired on the Discovery Channel back in March 2003 before switching networks to TLC a few years later. The sixth season of “American Chopper” ran on the latter network for only one year before being canceled.

The show featured the lives of Paul Teutul Sr., who was typically referred to as Senior, and his son Paul Teutul Jr., who most people referred to as either Paulie or Junior. The pair manufactured custom chopper-style motorcycles in New York. However, they had very different creative ideas and work styles, which led to several arguments between the father-son team, so much so that Paulie was even fired in 2009 and went off to start his own competing company.

Even though “American Chopper” was canceled in 2009, a new series called “American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior” aired the following year. However, the complete series came to an end in 2012 with “Chopper Live: The Revenge.”

Since then, many fans have wondered what the elder Paul has been up to and what his life looks like today. He has gone through some personal changes as well as business changes. Read on to find out more about the “American Chopper” star’s life today.

Paul was born on May 1, 1949, in Yonkers, New York, and grew up in Pearl River, New York. He is a father of four – Paulie, Mikey, Christin and Dan – and a grandfather of seven. During the Vietnam War, he served as a member of the United States Merchant Marine. However, it was clear that he had a true passion for motorcycles and found his way toward working in that industry.

He first started working with Orange County Ironworks, which is a fabrication shop owned by Paul’s son Dan. Paul found great joy in building customized motorcycles in his downtime and appreciated the art that went into constructing them. 

During an interview from the official Orange County Choppers website, Paul explained that he started his own steel manufacturing company back in 1973 and successfully ran it for 30 years. In 1999, Paul branched out even more and opened his own company called Orange County Choppers, which specialized in motorcycle manufacturing and lifestyle branding. He originally thought it would just be a “small business,” but it quickly became a huge brand for the star.

Orange County Choppers was the main business featured on “American Chopper” and was also the location where Paul and his son Paulie worked together. The father-son duo frequently fought, revealing that they once went 10 years without speaking to one another. Their dysfunctional relationship was evident on the program, and the series ultimately came to an end in the early 2010s before Paul had his own show, “Orange County Choppers,” start airing in 2013.

Nowadays, Paul is in his 70s and is still as busy as ever. However, that has not come without some hardships. According to Page Six, the “American Chopper” star had financial struggles in 2018, showing that he was millions of dollars in debt and filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. However, a representative for Paul later claimed this was “untrue.”

Speaking with the New York Post that same year, Paul had a positive outlook on his future despite his legal issues. He said:

“We’re on our way back up and… I’m a man of my word. I really don't have a lot to complain about. Every day is a gift.”

On his social media accounts, Paul gives fans insights into his everyday life, from his heartwarming relationship with his long-time girlfriend Joan Bulger-Kay. In an Instagram post from June 15, 2022, Paul showed a snapshot of their life together and captioned the photo:

“Always side by side.” 

According to FOX 13, Paul lives part-time at his farm in Brooksville, Florida. The motorcycle enthusiast also moved his business from New York to Florida the same year, telling WPDH it was “just time to make a change.”

FOX 13 reported that Paul opened an Orange County Chopper-themed restaurant in Clearwater, Florida, in 2021. Several custom chopper motorcycles from his TV show are on display in the restaurant, as well as memorabilia from the past 20 years. “We built this bike that’s known around the world, and if you look at the patches, everything was given to us,” Paul said.

He added, “I feel grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to create something like this.”

What do you think about Paul Teutul Sr.’s life? Have you seen any of the shows he’s been on? Let us know, and feel free to send this to your family and friends.