Andrew Firestone was one of the first men to take on the role of The Bachelor. He’s also one of the richest, as the great-grandson of the founder of Firestone Tire. Since his stint in The Bachelor Nation ended, Andrew rode the craze of televised poker and hosted a luxury car show. What’s the former bachelor up to these days?
Early Life
Andrew Boulton Firestone was born on July 10, 1975, in Santa Barbara, California. Being the direct descendant of Harvey Firestone, founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. This earned him a place at the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, one of the nation’s most exclusive pre-K-through-12 boarding schools.
From there, he attended the University of San Diego, where he received a degree in business administration. He also played on the school’s football team. After graduating in 1998, he founded StonePark Capital, based out of Santa Barbara. StonePark buys and develops high-end hotels in Santa Barbara and the surrounding cities of Morgan Hill and San Luis Obispo.
The Bachelor
Andrew Firestone was the focus of the third season of The Bachelor in 2003. The show was in its infancy, and the show didn’t have any of the grand destinations it does these days. It also put almost as much focus on Andrew trying to win over his 25 contestants as they did wooing him.
After eliminating contestants through the season, Andrew narrowed it down to Jen Schefft and Kirsten Buschbacher. In the finale, he eliminated Buschbacher, who went on to star in the documentary American Cannibal, about an eponymous doomed reality TV show. Andrew then proposed to Jen Schefft, who accepted.
After the end of the show, she moved into his California home. They stayed together almost through the rest of the year, but split that December. Jen would go on to star in Season 3 of The Bachelorette. She had trouble choosing between her two finalists, and ultimately ended up happily married to someone she met after the show. Andrew publicly blamed the split on Jen, amidst claims that he had driven her away. When she failed to find a match through The Bachelorette,
Meanwhile, Andrew Firestone was spinning out his slight fame from The Bachelor. During the heights of televised poker, he competed in the Celebrity Poker Showdown, on Bravo, ultimately placing third. His winnings went to Direct Relief, a charity that funds getting medical supplies to disaster and emergency areas.
Later, he would appear on Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School, a spin-off of VH1’s Flava of Love.
What’s Andrew Firestone Doing Now in 2018 – Recent Updates
In July 2008, Andrew married Ivana Bozilovic. They’d go on to have three kids: Adam Brooks in 2009, Anja Jasmine in 2011, and Shane, in 2014. Andrew and Ivana sometimes make appearances in marketing materials for Baby Bullet, a blender specifically for making baby food.
Andrew Firestone also briefly hosted Billionaires Car Club, finally living up to his automotive legacy. The self-billed “lifestyle series” focused on the most luxury cars being released from 2008 until 2011. They also ran a few specials covering automotive events, such as the Firestone 200, an annual race in Nashville.
These days Andrew has mostly stepped back from the limelight to spend time with his wife and three kids. He’s still active in the automotive world, though. You can frequently find him representing his family’s brand at car shows and tech expos.
it must be nice – to be born into such wealth and eat each meal with a silver spoon.
yes, a bit jealous.