The Untold Truth Of Mikey From American Chopper
Whenever people discuss reality shows, "American Chopper" is bound to come up in the conversation sooner rather than later. From 2003 to 2012, the show and its various spin-offs let the audience peek into the cool custom creations of Orange County Choppers — and, perhaps more enticingly, the volatile Teutul family's everyday lives and highly combustible temperaments.
Insofar as a show like this can have protagonists, "American Chopper" tends to focus on the dueling father-son combo of Paul Teutul Senior and Junior. However, the show's heart is without doubt the younger Teutul son, Michael "Mikey" Teutul, who displays a comparatively easygoing temperament — not that this is hard when his father has been known to kick his office door off its hinges, and the chair-throwing argument during the episode that gets Paul Jr. fired has become a popular meme (via Know Your Meme). However, the youngest Teutul's life is far from mellow. Let's take a look at the untold truth of Mikey Teutul from "American Chopper."
He's on good terms with his father
One of the most gut-wrenching moments in "American Chopper" came when it turned out that Mikey Teutul was struggling with alcohol addiction. Though he dealt with the issue in rehab, Paul Teutul Sr. — who has dealt with similar issues himself — didn't take kindly to the situation. As the family's tensions grew over the course of the show, Mikey was eventually ousted from the company in Season 6.
Fortunately, it appears that the years after the incident have been better for the pair's relationship. Paul Jr. and Paul Sr. have been known to lock horns both in court (via TMZ) and in front of the cameras, to the point that the first "American Chopper" spin-off was actually called "Senior vs. Junior," and the elder Paul even ended up skipping his son's wedding.
Meanwhile, Mikey seems to be on pretty good terms with his old man. In 2021, Paul Sr. posted a heartwarming photo of the two on his Instagram, with an even more heartwarming message: "Twins," he wrote of the pair, who wear identical shirts in the photo. "Everybody loves Mikey."
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
He's been a YouTuber
If you're hungry for more Mikey Teutul content but already know all the "American Chopper" episodes by heart, you might be interested to find out that the former Orange County Choppers worker has also been a fairly active YouTuber. Teutul's YouTube channel might not have too many followers, but for fans of "American Chopper," it's well worth checking out, since it shows a very different side of the reality show star.
With one exception, the channel's content has very little to do with Mikey's main claim to fame. Instead, the videos he's posted range from surreal art clips and open mic musical performances to creative comedy skits and DIY documentaries. Perhaps the most interesting example of the lot is "Me and Pop trailer," a fun meta parody that features actors playing the Teutuls in classic "American Chopper" scenes, while the real Mikey Teutul plays a snobby auteur version of himself, growing increasingly unhinged behind the scenes and disrupting the production.
Though Mikey hasn't posted on the channel since early 2018, the existing videos are proof that motorcycles aren't the only outlet for Teutul creativity.
He's had many surprising jobs
Any fan of "American Chopper" knows that Mikey Teutul has worked at Orange Country Choppers. However, you might not realize just how many jobs he's held that have little to do with custom motorcycles. In an interview with TV Time Machine, Teutul revealed that he has a surprisingly robust arts and entertainment background. Vievers of the show might already be aware of the fact that he enjoys painting, but he's actually built himself something of an artistic career, right down to opening a gallery of his own and holding exhibitions (per Pilgrim Media Group). Teutul has also performed as a stand-up comedian, which is another aspiration he mentioned during his time in "American Chopper." Of course, being a Teutul, he's also worked at other Teutul family business — namely, Orange County Iron Works, and his brother's Paul Jr. Designs. In addition, he also worked as a carpenter before his reality show fame.
Perhaps the most surprising of Teutul's endeavors has been FarQueue Products LLC (via Outsider), which he founded to sell ... a line of homemade pasta sauces, of all things.
He's estimated to be wealthier than his father
Like most ordinary folks, famous people don't necessarily advertise their financial situation. combine this with the fact that many reality TV stars are actually poorer than you'd think, and it can be pretty hard to estimate the finances of Mikey Teutul, whose appearances in the public eye are largely related to his "American Chopper" fame.
However, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Teutul is actually pretty well-off, despite his seemingly humble Assistant General Manager role at Orange Country Choppers. The site estimates his net worth at $2 million. As it turns out, the exact same amount is also the site's estimate for Teutul's brother, Paul Jr., who owns his own Paul Jr. Designs company.
It's unclear precisely how accurate these figures are, but Celebrity Net Worth certainly estimates both Paul Jr. and Mikey well above their father, Paul Sr., whose 2018 bankruptcy and legal problems have left him with an estimated net worth of around $500,000.
Mikey Teutul and his father were sued for copyright violation
Mikey Teutul hasn't been in quite as much legal trouble as his father, but in 2020, news emerged that both father and son had gotten entangled in a peculiar legal case (via Page Six). According to a copyright lawsuit filed by photographer Scott Gunnells in 2019, Paul Teutul Sr. and Mikey had been using two different photos Gunnells had snapped of the latter in ways they didn't have permission to. One of the photos featured in multiple items of merchandise, and per The Blast, Mikey also used Gunnells' copyrighted photos for promotion and posted them on social media.
The judge eventually ruled in favor of Gunnells, and Paul Sr. was reportedly ordered to cough up the incredibly specific sum of $258,484.45. It's unclear whether this was just his part of the entire sum, or if Mikey had to pay a part of it.