Andrew Stewart is an American publisher and businessman best known as the co-founder of Stewart, Tabori & Chang and as the former husband of lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart.
His publishing career spanned decades, from a leadership role at Harry N. Abrams Inc. to founding his own imprint, and he currently holds the title of Publisher Emeritus at Fieldstone Publishing.
Who is Andrew Stewart?
Andrew Stewart, widely known as Andy, is an American publisher and entrepreneur who built a career in illustrated and lifestyle books across several decades.
Though he attended Yale Law School, he never practiced law and instead turned his attention fully to the publishing world.
He is best known to the public as the first husband of Martha Stewart, with whom he shares a daughter, Alexis Stewart.
His nearly 30-year marriage to Martha coincided with her rise as a media personality, and his professional connections in publishing played a direct role in launching her early career.
Andrew has lived a largely private life after his divorce from Martha, and he remains active in the publishing industry today through Fieldstone Publishing.
The 2024 Netflix documentary “Martha” brought renewed attention to him, prompting his current wife, Shyla Nelson Stewart, to speak publicly in his defense.
He is not active on social media and prefers to stay out of the spotlight.
Early Life of Andrew Stewart
Andrew Stewart was born in 1939 in New Haven, Connecticut. He grew up in the United States and later enrolled at Yale Law School in New Haven, where he earned his legal degree.
His early interest in business and his exposure to New York’s cultural and publishing circles shaped his career direction.
Though he trained as a lawyer, he never pursued legal practice and instead moved into the world of books and publishing, which proved to be a more natural fit.
Andrew Age / Birthday
Andrew Stewart was born in 1939, making him 86 or 87 years old as of 2026, depending on his birth month, which has not been publicly confirmed.
He remains active in the publishing industry through his role at Fieldstone Publishing alongside his wife, Shyla Nelson Stewart.
Andrew Ethnicity and Nationality
Andrew Stewart holds American nationality and was born and raised in Connecticut. His ethnic background is White, with roots in the United States.
His family and upbringing reflected the academic and professional culture of New England, which set him on a path toward law and eventually publishing.
Andrew Stewart Education
Andrew Stewart attended Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, graduating with a law degree.
At the time he met Martha Kostyra, who later became Martha Stewart, he was a 23-year-old law student there.
Despite completing his legal education, Andrew never practiced law professionally.
He channeled his ambition and business instincts into the publishing industry instead, where he would spend the bulk of his career.
That pivot proved significant, as it placed him at the center of the American illustrated book market during one of its most productive eras.
Andrew Stewart Career
Andrew Stewart built his career in publishing over several decades, working across major houses before founding his own.
His career bridged legal training and the business of books, and his impact on illustrated publishing in the United States is documented through several landmark titles and companies.
Early Career at Harry N. Abrams Inc. (1970s)
Andrew began his publishing career by taking on leadership roles at major New York publishing houses. He rose to become president of Harry N. Abrams Inc., one of the most prominent art and illustrated book publishers in the United States.
Abrams, founded in 1949, was the first American company to specialize in art books, and leading it gave Andrew a commanding view of the market.
During his time at Abrams, he oversaw the English-language translation and publication of the hugely successful Gnomes series by Wil Huygen and Rien Poortvliet.
The series, titled “The Secret Book of Gnomes,” entered the New York Times Bestseller list and became a major commercial success in 1977.
That achievement demonstrated Andrew’s eye for high-quality illustrated content with broad public appeal.
His work at Abrams also helped him build relationships with publishers, designers, and authors that would later support his own venture.
By the late 1970s, he was ready to launch something of his own.
Founding Stewart, Tabori & Chang (1980)
Andrew co-founded the illustrated book publisher Stewart, Tabori & Chang around 1980, alongside Lena Tabori.
The company specialized in visually rich lifestyle books, covering cooking, interior design, craft, and related topics.
Under his direction as co-founder, the imprint published books with both commercial and aesthetic appeal.
Stewart, Tabori & Chang grew into a respected name in the lifestyle and illustrated book segment.
Andrew’s professional connections, particularly through Martha Stewart’s expanding media profile, helped raise the imprint’s visibility during the 1980s and 1990s.
In fact, it was by catering one of Andrew’s publishing parties that Martha first connected with a publisher who suggested she write a cookbook, an introduction that helped launch her career.
Abrams bought Stewart, Tabori & Chang in 2000, and the imprint continued under the Abrams umbrella before being retired in 2016 when its titles were absorbed into the main Abrams brand.
Fieldstone Publishing and Current Role
Following his earlier ventures, Andrew took on the role of Publisher Emeritus at Fieldstone Publishing, a smaller house that specializes in books about wildlife and the natural world.
His personal interests as an avocational naturalist and nature photographer align closely with Fieldstone’s focus.
His current wife, Shyla Nelson Stewart, serves as President and CEO of Fieldstone Publishing, and the two work together at the company.
Andrew’s title as Publisher Emeritus reflects an advisory and honorary position rather than an active operational one.
The company has continued under Shyla’s leadership while Andrew remains associated with its direction and identity.
Andrew Stewart Wife
Andrew Stewart married Martha Kostyra, later known as Martha Stewart, in 1961.
The two met on a blind date arranged through a mutual friend while Martha was a student at Barnard College and Andrew was 23 and studying at Yale Law School.
The couple settled in Westport, Connecticut during their marriage and purchased a farmhouse that Martha famously restored, an experience that would shape much of her later professional identity.
Their daughter, Alexis Gilbert Stewart, was born on September 27, 1965.
The marriage deteriorated in its later years. Martha and Andrew separated in 1987 after nearly 30 years together, and their divorce was finalized in 1990.
The split became public and contentious. Martha later revealed in the 2024 Netflix documentary “Martha” that Andrew had an affair with Robyn Fairclough, Martha’s former assistant who had been living on their property.
Martha also admitted in the documentary that she had her own affair during the marriage, saying she did not believe Andrew ever knew.
Andrew remarried in May 1993, wedding Robyn Fairclough. That marriage later ended in divorce. In 2016, he married publisher Shyla Nelson, now known as Shyla Nelson Stewart.
Andrew and Shyla share five children together and collaborate professionally at Fieldstone Publishing.
Shyla has spoken publicly to defend Andrew’s character, particularly in response to claims made in the Netflix documentary about the nature of his marriage to Martha.
Andrew Stewart Children
Andrew Stewart has a total of six children. His eldest child, Alexis Gilbert Stewart, was born on September 27, 1965, from his marriage to Martha Stewart.
Alexis went on to build her own media career in the United States.
Andrew and his current wife, Shyla Nelson Stewart, share five children together. Their names have not been publicly disclosed, as the family keeps those aspects of their private life out of the media.
Stewart and Shyla have made clear that their children are not public figures and do not wish to be drawn into the media attention that has surrounded the family since the release of the Netflix documentary on Martha Stewart’s life.
Andrew Stewart Net Worth
Andrew Stewart’s estimated net worth is $1.6 million as of 2026.
His wealth comes primarily from his decades in publishing, including his tenure at Harry N. Abrams Inc. and his co-founding of Stewart, Tabori & Chang.
His income sources over the course of his career included executive roles at major publishing houses, the commercial success of titles he published and oversaw, and his ongoing advisory work at Fieldstone Publishing.
The Gnomes series, which became a New York Times Bestseller under his stewardship, was among the most commercially successful illustrated books of the late 1970s.
Andrew has kept his financial affairs private and does not discuss his wealth publicly. His lifestyle has been described as relatively private and low-key compared to his more prominent former spouse.
Conclusion
Andrew Stewart spent decades shaping the illustrated book industry in the United States, from his time at Harry N. Abrams to co-founding the influential Stewart, Tabori & Chang imprint.
His name remained largely out of public view until the 2024 Netflix documentary on Martha Stewart brought renewed attention to his life, his marriages, and his long publishing career.