Andrew Hauptman’s first face-to-face meeting with the Chicago media didn’t take place during a luncheon or news conference. It took place Sept. 14 on the Toyota Park field during the annual Fire media game — a game in which the new Fire owner took part.
Wearing a long sleeve shirt, shorts and soccer cleats, Hauptman shook hands and introduced himself when he wasn’t racing down the field.
“I thought it would be fun and I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet people,” said Hauptman, 38. “I came close to scoring but shanked it to the left.”
As Chairman/CEO of Andell Holdings, a Los Angeles-based private investment firm he owns with his wife, Ellen, Hauptman’s demeanor is business-like, yet casual. He jokes that he has “the face of a 14-year-old” and lists snowboarding as one of his favorite passions, in addition to soccer.
Hauptman played travel soccer when he was younger and lived for nearly 10 years in London, where he became a fan of the Premier League’s Chelsea. But it wasn’t Hauptman who first proposed the idea of buying a Major League Soccer team. The idea came from Andell President Scott Richland.
With Anschutz Entertainment Group owning three MLS clubs and looking to decrease that number, Andell targeted the Fire. In July, Andell confirmed that it was in talks to buy the Fire, with the price tag believed to be $30 million to $35 million. Hauptman said his friends and family were initially surprised by the purchase.
“For the most part, it was ‘Really?’ and then ‘Why?'” Hauptman said of the reaction. “I walked them through my decision-making process … They definitely bought into it.”
Among Hauptman’s many investments is his film production company, Andell Entertainment, which produced the upcoming “Lions for Lambs” starring Tom Cruise. In November, they begin shooting “State of Play” starring Brad Pitt and also have a Vince Lombardi biopic in the works.
While there are no immediate plans to use his Hollywood connections to benefit the Fire, Hauptman did confirm that he and his friend, actor Jim Belushi, would attend Sunday’s Fire-D.C. United game before attending the Bears game later that night.
Recently, Hauptman had the chance to speak to the Fire players in the locker room. He called the experience slightly intimidating.
“We were excited,” defender C.J. Brown said. “They’re not just going to be owners. We’re going to see them more than we did our last owners.”
Hauptman is learning Spanish with a tutor to help him reach out to Chicago’s Hispanic community. Hauptman even had a beer with Fire supporters Section 8 during last Saturday’s Fire game.
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“[Cuauhtemoc] Blanco scores the first minute I walk into Section 8 as the owner,” Hauptman said. “I don’t know what that tells you, but it felt good.”
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