Born in 1947, Bill Chapko grew up in suburban New Jersey. At New York University he studied Existential Philosophy under Professor William Barrett, author of the book "Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy". He graduated with a BA in Philosophy in 1969. He has read and studied Nietzsche all his life.

Since 1981 he has shared a happy family life in southern Italy with his American wife, Eva and their four children. He greatly enjoys living in foreign cultures.