Millionaire to Be Next Star of 'The Bachelor'
N E W Y O R K, March 3, 2003 -- The next star of The Bachelor is a millionaire who liked the idea of meeting a group of 25 women looking for love, and not just a piece of his family fortune.
So who is he? Here are a few clues.
1. His last name is one of the most recognizable in America.2. He's a real-life millionaire. 3. Without his great-grandfather, many Americans would not be able to get to work in the morning.
Give up? Reality TV's latest single guy is Andrew Firestone, the great-grandson of the tire entrepreneur Harvey Firestone. He'll be in the driver's seat when the newest run of The Bachelor debuts on March 26. Firestone says he doesn't have trouble meeting women, but in the past his wealth has drawn women who were after him for his money, he said.
"This is a unique opportunity to meet a lot of beautiful women who come into this sincerely … without knowing my last name," Firestone said. He doesn't have an "ideal woman," but will follow his mother's advice, which is to find a woman who "completes" him and balances him out.
He said that his good points are that he is energetic and outgoing, but he probably needs someone to keep him grounded and organized. Like the previous Bachelors, and The Bachelorette, Firestone gave away very little about the show's outcome.
"It was a great experience," he said.
Running with the Bulls
In addition to their fame in the tire industry, his family name is also big in the wine business. His father is Brooks Firestone, creator of one of California's most successful winery and brewery enterprises — Firestone Family Estates.
As a child, Andrew worked in the vineyard, rode horses and raced motorcycles. In high school, he was an athlete, playing football, baseball, basketball, soccer and track — and the cello.
While in college at the University of San Diego, he played football until a knee injury ended his playing days. He graduated with a degree in business in 1998, then backpacked through Europe, and even ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.
He came back to the United States and did some stints at the family winery before beginning work as a trader at a brokerage firm in San Francisco. When the tech sector cooled, he rejoined the sales/marketing team at the winery, and is still working there along with his older brother Adam.
It was Adam who led him to apply for The Bachelor. Someone suggested to Adam that he would make a good candidate, but his wife and children put a crimp in that idea, so Adam said "You might want to take my brother."
Firestone said he had watched The Bachelor with predecessor Aaron Buerge, and knew that he'd likely end up on hot tub dates with beautiful women — a scenario that he, like most guys, wasn't exactly adverse to. But Firestone said that despite the obvious allure, deciding to do the show wasn't something he entered into lightly.
A Family Meeting
"But it came at the right time and place," Firestone said. He discussed the idea with his family in an "open forum," just as they would do with everything from business to personal issues, and there was talk about the possibility of bringing a new daughter-in-law into the fold.
His two sisters, and his sister-in-law warned him to be careful with the affections of the women on the show. But his family gave him its blessing.
Firestone said his new celebrity hasn't sunk in yet, but that he is very grounded by his family and his life. He said he won't be dazzled by the spotlight, but is excited about what is coming up.