Andrew Hauptman

Andrew Hauptman (born 1969) is an American business executive, philanthropist, and civic leader.

Hauptman was born in 1969 on Eglin Air Force Base in Ft. Walton Beach, and raised in Smithtown, New York.

His father is a retired pediatrician and his mother is an artist and former college counseling advisor.

He graduated with a B.A. from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Early in his career, he worked at Alex. Brown & Sons in New York City and later, as an executive with Universal Studios in London, where he played a key role in the oversight of its international operations.

In his youth, he was a competitive soccer and tennis player and participated in social service programs in Latin America (Belize) and Sub-Saharan Africa (Lesotho).

Andell invests directly in private and public companies and real estate, acquiring control and minority stakes, as well as with top-tier investment managers across the globe.

Andell's real estate platform includes a variety of investments across all asset classes and throughout the capital structure.

Hauptman has been a director of numerous public and private companies.

He currently serves on the advisory board of Altas Partners and Pendulum Holdings.

Representative Corporate Board Appointments (current and former):

Civic and Philanthropic Board Appointments (current and former):

Hauptman co-founded the investment firm Andell Holdings which he has helmed since its inception in 1998 and has grown into one of the leading family office entities in the nation.

From 2007 to 2019, Hauptman was owner and chairman of Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire Soccer Club.

In 2007, Andell purchased the Chicago Fire from billionaire Philip Anschutz's AEG for $35 million.

Under Hauptman's ownership, the Club experienced dramatic growth, with the franchise value increasing more than eleven-fold culminating in a sale at $400m.

Per The Athletic, Hauptman's 12-year tenure as owner was a transformational one for the franchise and the league.

Hauptman entered the league as one of 12 owners; the league has since expanded to include 30 teams.

During this period, Hauptman sat on the league's board of governors and was an active member of MLS governance, holding positions on various league committees including the Expansion, Media, Competition, and Advisory Finance Committees.

Under Hauptman’s leadership, Chicago competed against Manchester United in Chicago in 2011 and hosted the 2017 MLS All Star Game vs. Real Madrid, at Soldier Field.

He was closely involved in the design and creation of MLS' logo redesign launched in 2014.

Under Hauptman, the Fire made extensive investments in the first team – regularly ranking in the top five in the league in salary outlay – as well as community programming and resources, working to build excitement for the sport from the ground up.

Notable players under Hauptman’s ownership included American star Brian McBride, World Cup Winner Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mexican legends Pavel Pardo and Cuauhtemoc Blanco, and Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg.

Hauptman's ownership was marked by emphasizing and establishing deep roots and an ethos of giving across the community.

During his tenure, Hauptman constructed the $22 million, 125,000 square foot CIBC Fire Pitch community center on the north side of Chicago serving 300,000 participants annually, launched the Chicago Fire Rec Soccer League (which grew to 20,000 participants), expanded the Chicago Fire Juniors program (from 400 to 16,000 players across six states), and formed the Chicago Fire Academy, one of the first fully scholarshipped programs in the nation, which became a source for star players signed to the first team.

Hauptman also expanded the Chicago Fire Foundation and created its award-winning P.L.A.Y.S. (Participate Learn Achieve Youth Soccer) program, which expanded into 30 schools in the Chicago Public Schools district, and formed a partnership with the U.S Soccer Foundation and the city of Chicago to build 50 mini-pitches in underserved neighborhoods across Chicago.

The games set TV viewership records with the 2017 All Star Game being watched by viewers in 170 countries.

Hauptman was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame as Sports Advocate of the year in 2017 for his singular commitments to the city and to the sport of soccer.

According to Forbes, the deal to move the team to Bridgeview, IL which pre-dated Hauptman's purchase of the team, meant the Fire were "saddled with one of the worst stadium deals and restrictive leases in American pro sports" due to a lack of public transportation and contextual economic issues which had historically limited the municipality’s investment.

Hauptman led a complex and successful multi-year effort to leave Bridgeview and move the team to downtown Chicago and Soldier Field.

The club was consistently recognized for its deep community engagement, including being awarded ESPN's 2019 Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award, the 2017 Corporate Citizen of the Year Award by the Executives' Club of Chicago, the 2016 Beyond Sport Team of the Year, winning over other finalists FC Barcelona, Arsenal FC, the San Francisco Giants, and the Detroit Pistons, and the 2015 Robert Wood Johnson Sport Team of the Year.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel praised the "key long-term investments" of the Fire and their ability to "drive tourism and bolster Chicago's future by encouraging our youth to engage in sports and spurring economic development across neighborhoods."

He also highlighted the "culture of the Chicago Fire," saying "we're a better city because of what you do."

In 2019, with the support of both Mayors, he brokered deals with the Village of Bridgeview to exit its lease early and closed a three-year deal with the city of Chicago to return to Chicago's Soldier Field, beginning in 2020.

In September 2019, after securing the relocation of the team downtown, Hauptman sold his controlling interest in the Fire to Joe Mansueto, founder of Morningstar, Inc., who had purchased a minority stake a year earlier.

Mansueto's purchase valued the franchise at $400 million.

Mansueto credits Hauptman for having "developed a tremendous platform for continued soccer growth across Chicago and beyond, worked tirelessly to dramatically increase the profile of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, MLS, and the game overall and... left a wonderful legacy for our City."

In an interview with Forbes, Hauptman said, “I feel good about what’s been accomplished and the foundation that’s been built.

The scale of our operations, along with strong management, a great local owner in Joe ... and, importantly for me and my family, an ethos of giving to the community that’s become a core part of the Fire’s culture has set the stage for success as we move downtown.

Our move to an historic stadium in the heart of downtown Chicago is a major moment for the club, MLS and the city.”