• Michael Teutul is an American TV personality and steel fabricator born in 1978 in Suffern, New York USA
• He worked at Orange County Iron Works and Orange County Choppers before joining Paul Jr. Designs came to work
• He appeared in “American Chopper” from 2002-2010 and the show was revived in 2018
• He struggles with alcoholism and was sued in 2019 by photographer Scott Gunnells
• His net worth is estimated at $2 million
Contents
Known from movies
American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior (2010-2012)
as Himself
American Helicopter: The Series (2003-2012)
as Himself
American Chopper 2: Full Throttle (2005)
as Himself
101 Guiltiest Guilty Pleasures (2006)
as Himself
Short information
| Net value | $2 million |
| Date of birth | November 26, 1978 |
| Fact | Received an AMC Matador from Paul Teutul, Sr. gift during the construction of the Lance Armstrong Bike. |
Michael “Mikey” Teutul is an American TV personality and steel fabricator born on November 26, 1978 in Suffern, New York, USA. He is known for appearing in the reality series ‘American Chopper’.
Early life
Michael Joseph is the youngest son of Paul and Paula Teutul. His parents’ marriage ended in 1995 after three decades together and his father married Beth Ann Santos again in 2007, though the relationship was short-lived and they filed for divorce in 2015. There is no information about Michael’s mother Paula relations.
Michael “Mickey” siblings are Paul Jr., Daniel, and only sister Christin, though information about his childhood is not made public. He went to a community college, but he dropped out when it did and didn’t finish his degree.
Posted by Mikey Teutul on Monday, January 9, 2017
Career
First jobs
Michael began his career at the age of 12 when he started working at his family business Orange County Iron Works doing small jobs such as cleaning toilets and taking out the trash. He worked intermittently at the company for years until he finally quit his job at age 20 when he moved to Tempe, Arizona.
During the six months Michael spent there, he held several jobs. He worked as a club bouncer, busboy, as a valet parker, in a movie theater and selling cell phones. However, none of these jobs worked for him and he soon returned to his hometown to work as a carpenter for a year.
Deciding he had better opportunities working with his family, he returned to Orange County Iron Works to work alongside his older brother Daniel. However, the job was not what Michael was looking for, describes it as ‘ungrateful, cold and cruel’. He quit his job to work in his father’s bicycle repair shop.
Orange County Helicopters
Michael started working as an assistant manager at Orange County Choppers, answering phone calls and doing other small jobs. Fortunately, the innovative environment of the store motivated him, and he soon found himself working closer to his father and older brother Paul.
Orange County Choppers (OOC), based in New York, is dedicated to creating custom bikes for local and international customers.
Founded in 1999 by Paul Teutul Jr., the company is an extension of his experience as a steel fabricator combined with his passion for motorcycles.
The first bike ever made by OOC was named “True Blue”, which debuted at Daytona Biketoberfest in 1999. This bike was followed by other memorable creations such as “The Fire Bike”, made to commemorate the 9/11 disaster and the New York Fire Department. OOC also created “Air Force Bike”, a helicopter personalized with beam-shaped rear-view mirrors and modeled after the F-22 Raptor tactical aircraft. This particular bike was displayed at many Air Force events and was finally put on permanent display at the National Museum in 2013.
Although Michael never worked as a regular bike builder at Orange County Choppers, he occasionally helped his co-workers make helicopters and even built his own bike. However, problems between his brother Paul and father led to his older brother leaving the shop in 2009 and subsequently starting his own helicopter company Paul Jr. Designs opened.
Paul Jr. wasn’t the only person affected by the family feud. Michael began to consider leaving Orange County Choppers as the relationship between him and his father was also deteriorating. The tense situation ended with Michael’s departure from OOC in 2012. His father Paul Sr. stated that his son never improved his work even when given opportunities to be successful at it.
Regarding the situation, Michael explained the real reason for his departure: “My relationship with my dad won’t get any better unless it goes off the radar a bit.” He stated “I think it might be time to move on.”
The decision was not sudden, however, as he had informed his brother Paul about it before: ‘I’ve always talked to him about this sort of thing over the years. Like when we had that gap with OCC, I wanted to abandon ship then.”
Michael joined Paul Jr. soon after. Designs, although it is uncertain whether he ever returned to work at his father’s company. Despite this, both Michael and Paul Jr. reconcile their relationship with their father over the next few years.
Debut on TV – American Chopper
Michael first appeared on TV in 2002 when “American Chopper” premiered on the Discovery Channel and then moved to TLC in 2008 during its sixth season. The show revolved around Michael’s father’s Orange County Choppers company. The show allows viewers to follow the process of creating and building some of the USA’s most innovative and memorable custom bikes. While Michael is known for not participating in the bike building process, in “American Chopper” he was known as the comic relief of the series, making him one of the most beloved cast members.
The “Black Widow Bike” was the first helicopter ever featured on “American Chopper”, and the first two episodes focused on it. The design of this bike made Michael’s father Paul Senior’s obsession with spiders visible to onlookers.
Inspired by the US Army’s RAH-66 Comanche helicopter, the “Comanche Bike” was also part of the show’s first season, followed by the “Future Bike”, inspired by the movie “I, Robot” and showcased during the premiere.
The New York Jets’ “Football Bike” and the “Liberty Bike”, commissioned by the CEO of Soleia Company, were also featured in the series, along with other original creations made specifically for a variety of clients, such as New York Yankees, Wendy’s, Go Daddy and Kansas City Royals.
Despite the great success on TV and becoming one of the most memorable reality shows, “American Chopper” was canceled in 2010, after the personal and legal feud between Paul Senior and his son Paul Junior. On August 12, 2010, a spin-off titled “American Chopper: Senior. Vs Junior” premiered, although the series was short-lived as it only lasted two seasons.
Executive producer Craig Piligian expressed his feelings about the end of the series: ‘So much has happened to this family in the last 10 years. We have seen them grow into a huge motorcycle shop. We have seen them fight bitterly. We’ve seen them sue each other. And recently we’ve seen them get together to open a new business. I think the show is over’
However, in 2018, the original “American Chopper” was revived and premiered on the Discovery Channel. In this series, which is still airing, fans of the show old and new can not only take a look at Orange County Choppers and Paul Jr. Designs, but also in the renewed relationship between father and sons.
Private life
Michael is a very private person and does not share many details about his personal life. As a result, his marital status and any children are unknown.
Michael loves art and painting, which led him to open an art gallery in 2013.
Alcohol addiction
In 2009, Michael Teutul entered rehab due to a serious addiction to alcohol, although further information about his health condition has not been revealed.
Legal problems
In 2019, Micheal Teutul was sued by photographer Scott Gunnells, who accused him of using his photographic work for commercial purposes without permission, which prevented him from making a profit. There is no further information on the current status of the lawsuit.
Net value
Michael Teutul’s net worth is estimated at $2 million which is a result of his work at Orange County Choppers and his various TV appearances.
Who eats yogurt with a paint stirrer this guy @MikeyTeutulWG #usewhatyouhave pic.twitter.com/HKeHqim2yH
— Craig Weiner (@craig_weiner) April 10, 2015
Physical appearance
Michael Teutul is a man of white descent, has long blond hair and green eyes. His height and weight are unknown, although he appears chubby.
Interesting facts
Michael, his father and Alex Franco formed Brüder4Brothers together, a temporary band that will be heard in the album “Brotherhood” by the Italian-German rock band Frei.Wild, which will be released in 2020.
Michael stated that he doesn’t watch episodes of “American Chopper” regularly: ‘I’ve seen a few. You know, like the Australian episode, just because it’s kind of an exotic episode, yeah. Those kind of things’.
Michael teamed up with FarQueue Products to produce a line of pasta sauces in 2011. However, the project never saw the light for unknown reasons.
General information
| First and last name | Michael Teutul |
| Net value | $2 million |
| Date of birth | November 26, 1978 |
| Profession | Manufacturer, secretary, entrepreneur, webmaster, janitor, designer |
| Nationality | American |
Family
| Parents | Paula Teutul, Paul Teutul Sr. |
| Brothers or sisters | Paul Teutul Jr., Daniel Teutul, Cristin Teutul |
Performance
| TV shows | American Chopper, American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior |
Facts
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Received an AMC Matador from Paul Teutul, Sr. gift during the construction of the Lance Armstrong Bike. |
| 2 | Son of Paul Teutul Sr.. |
| 3 | Brother of Paul Teutul Jr., Daniel Teutel and Cristin Teutel |
Pictures
Movies
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County Choppers: American Made | 2015-2016 | TV serials | |
| My name is Earl | 2008 | TV serials | Mikey |
Yourself
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| gangsta movie | pre-production | Himself | |
| American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior | 2010-2012 | TV serials | Himself |
| American Chopper: The Series | 2003-2012 | TV serials | Himself |
| Jon & Kate Plus 8 | 2009 | TV serials | Himself |
| Late Show with David Letterman | 2004-2008 | TV serials | Himself / Himself – Guest / Himself – Gets a visit from Biff Henderson at OCC |
| Celebrity family feud | 2008 | TV serials | Himself |
| Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show | 2008 | TV serials | Himself |
| Last conversation with Carson Daly | 2008 | TV serials | Himself |
| Rollin’ Out: Gearheads hit the road | 2006 | Documentary about TV movies | |
| 101 Guiltiest Guilty Pleasures | 2006 | Documentary about the TV miniseries | Himself |
| king of the Hill | 2006 | TV serials | Himself |
| American Chopper 2: full throttle | 2005 | Video game | Himself (voice) |
| The big idea with Donny Deutsch | 2005 | TV serials | Himself |
| The Tony Danza Show | 2005 | TV serials | Himself |
| The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | 2005 | TV serials | Himself |
| American Hot Rod | 2005 | Documentary about the TV series | Himself |
| Late Night with Conan O’Brien | 2004 | TV serials | Himself |
