Here's What Happened To Paul Teutul Sr From American Chopper
When American Chopper debuted in 2003, it became a hit as much for the interplay between the members of the Teutul family — Paul Sr., Paul Jr., and Mikey — as it did for the work they did on custom-built motorcycles. The original series ran for 200-plus episodes and countless arguments, spawning numerous memes and several spinoffs and revivals over the years.
There could have been no American Chopper without Paul Teutul Sr., who served in the Merchant Marine during the Vietnam War and founded Orange County Choppers in 1999. His frequently volatile relationship with his son and namesake led to the departure of Paul Jr. from American Chopper and the ultimate creation of the short-lived series "Senior vs. Junior" in 2010. Paul Sr. returned to television in 2013 with "Orange County Choppers," but that series only aired eight episodes before it was canceled. Paul Sr. continued operating the company after the show was dropped, but in 2017, his business partner Thomas Derbyshire sued Teutul, claiming Teutul was using his investments for personal purposes.
Paul Sr. now lives in Florida
In 2018, Paul Sr. filed for bankruptcy and moved to Florida, relocating the operations of Orange County Choppers to the Sunshine State as well. In 2021, he opened the OCC Roadhouse and Museum in Clearwater. The facility also features a concert venue, but the operation's finances have been the source of some controversy.
In 2018, the Miami Herald reported that several foreign investors had been scammed out of millions of dollars in a Ponzi scheme connected to the OCC Roadhouse and associated "shares in paper companies that had no value at all."
That was not Paul Sr.'s first foray into the restaurant business, nor his first brush with restaurant-related legal trouble. That same year, Page Six reported that the Orange County Clerk's office had filed a warrant for more than $22,000 in unpaid state taxes for his Orange County Choppers Cafe in Newburgh, NY. The outlet also reported that his home in Montgomery was in foreclosure.
American Chopper: The Last Ride
Ten years after "Senior vs. Junior" spotlighted the often contentious relationship between Paul Sr. and his namesake son, the two joined forces for another brief television appearance. In 2020, Paul Jr. learned that the original Orange County Choppers building was slated to be knocked down, and he asked his father to join him for one last build in their old shop. The project was chronicled in what is officially titled American Chopper Season 12, Episode 9, "The Last Ride."
In the episode aired on August 4, 2020, Paul Jr. and Paul Sr. were back to their old bickering ways. Most of Paul Jr.'s suggestions for the build were dismissed out of hand by his father, something many fans noticed immediately.
In a comment on the YouTube trailer for the episode, @michaelvachon1334 wrote, "You have a father and son who have very different attitudes about how to approach their business. Senior continues to be inflexible and bull-headed while Paul Jr. wears his passion on his sleeve ... they should NEVER work together on bikes."
OCC invitational bike show and build-off competition
Despite the legal speed bumps surrounding the project, Paul Sr. continues to operate the OCC Roadhouse in Clearwater as a combination restaurant, museum, and concert venue. In 2023, Paul Sr. used the venue as the site for the first annual Orange County Choppers Invitational Bike Show and Biker Build-off Competition.
He judged the competition and exhibited many previous builds during the weekend-long show. Forty guest builders brought 80 motorcycles to the show, a mix of domestic and Japanese bikes dating back to as early as 1973.
The award for best build went to Evolution Choppers for their custom Honda Gold Wing. Attendees were also treated to several live music performances, and as of this moment, there is no official word as to whether or not the event will be held again. Instead, the OCC Roadhouse website is promoting next year's St. Pete Bikefest, an event in nearby St. Petersburg scheduled to run from November 21-24, 2024.
Paul Sr. will supposedly be returning to the small screen
Although he and his son appear to be finished building bikes on television together, Paul Sr. isn't ready to give up the idea of going on camera.
In a recent press release, former "West Coast Choppers" host Jesse James announced that he would be launching a new online streaming network called Outlaw TV, which would feature programs hosted by himself, Paul Sr., and Billy Layne ("Monster Garage," The Great Biker Build-Off"). Paul Sr.'s program on Outlaw TV will be called "Senior Living," but the press release did not indicate the program's content.
David McKillop, who earned five Emmy nominations and two wins as a producer for his work on "Deadliest Catch," "Cartel Land," and other programs, will serve as Outlaw TV's president.
In the press release, McKillop said, "I'm passionate about Outlaw TV. I want it to be the culmination of my career."
"These are no-nonsense guys who've seen success, still do, but have paid their dues along the way," James said. I work with people who work with their hands – I've championed that for 25 years."
James and McKillop plan to distribute their programming via James' website. As of this writing, there doesn't appear to be any new content besides a one-minute-long teaser on Layne's YouTube channel.
This could be due to an intellectual property issue, as an existing web-only outlet called the Outlaw Television Network already broadcasts independent music videos and other programming.