Children: Antoinette "Skye" Chandler (adoptive), Hayley Vaughn Santos (with Arlene Vaughan), Adam "JR" Chandler, Jr. (with Dixie Martin), Anna Claire Chandler (with Gloria Marsh; deceased), Colby Chandler (with Liza Colby)
Grandchildren: Lorenzo Santos , Ace Buchanan (biological-being raised by Kelly and Kevin Buchanan), Bess Chandler (no biological relation, but Adam believes this is JR's daughter)
Siblings: Stuart Chandler (identical twin), Lottie Chandler (deceased)
Nephews: Scott Chandler (adoptive), Ross Chandler
Daughter-in-law: Babe Chandler
Son-in-law: Mateo Santos
Sister-in-law: Marian Chandler
Significant Romantic Relationships: Joy Hawkins, Althea Chandler (1st wife, deceased), Erica Kane (2nd and 6th wife/divorced), Brooke English (3rd wife/divorced/invalid- he was still married to Erica), Dixie Martin (4th wife/divorced/invalid-he was still married to Erica), Natalie Hunter (5th wife/divorced/invalid- he was still married to Erica), Gloria Marsh (6th wife/divorced), Liza Colby (7th, 8th and 10th wife/divorced), Arlene Vaughn (9th wife/divorced)

Adam Chandler arrived in Pine Valley in December of 1983. He immediately became infatuated with the glamorous Erica Kane. Adam was the producer of Raising Kane, the film version of Erica's autobiography. Determined to play herself, Erica flirted with Adam to get the part-which she did. Adam was always happy to use his closeness with Erica to upset her lover, Mike Roy. Adam blackmailed Erica into sleeping with him by threatening to not distribute her film, as well as to burn all copies of it. Erica, not wanting to miss out on her chance at a film career, agreed. This did not help her relationship with Mike. When Adam secretly manipulated Mike into a book writing assignment in Tibet, a furious Erica dumped him and married Adam. However, it became clear that theirs was not a match made in heaven, and Adam decided to test Erica's fidelity. Faking his own death, Adam was furious to see Erica quickly reunite with Mike. Revealing his scheme, Adam told Erica to make a choice: Divorce Adam or stay with him---and his money. Erica chose Mike, and she divorced Adam.

Adam's nephew Ross came to town and it was revealed he was really Palmer Cortlandt's son, the product of an affair between Palmer and Adam's sister Lottie. Palmer didn't know about Ross, as he went off to war before learning Lottie was pregnant, only to have Lottie commit suicide shortly after Ross was born. Adam raised Ross and blamed Palmer for abandoning his sister and nephew. Determined to destroy Palmer, Adam was elated when the former was forced to take a job as a front man for Chandler Enterprises when Cortlandt Electronics had their assets frozen. Palmer regained his empire, but his feud with Adam continued.

Adam met Brooke English and was captivated by her. The two fell in love and married. However, Adam wanted a child. He had his daughter, Skye, but he wanted a son. Brooke was believed infertile. Adam met young Dixie Cooney, Palmer's niece and hired her at Chandler Enterprises. Dixie had a crush on the older Adam, and he quickly seduced her. Soon, Dixie was pregnant. Brooke learned of the affair and divorced Adam, while Adam married Dixie. After giving birth to his son JR, Adam tried to drive Dixie insane so he could seek sole custody. Gaslighting Dixie, Adam managed to have her committed to a mental institution. Tad Martin, who had fallen in love with Dixie, helped prove her sanity. Dixie divorced Adam and got custody of JR. Adam got the surprise of his life when he soon learned that Hayley Vaughan, a teenage girl, was really his daughter from a long ago affair with Arlene Vaughan.

Palmer managed to best Adam by causing his financial ruin. In a complicated maneuver, Palmer got control of Chandler Enterprises. Desperate, Adam set out to snare Natalie Hunter, newly rich after a former client she had nursed left her his entire fortune. Adam managed to woo Natalie away from her sparring partner and potential romantic interest Trevor Dillon, and married her. In an effort to get Natalie's money, Adam tricked Natalie into signing her power of attorney over to him. Adam's scheme was realized and Natalie divorced Adam.

Adam then revealed to Erica that they were never divorced-years earlier he had sent Stuart down to the Caribbean for their divorce, meaning Erica's past marriages (and Adam's as well) were all invalid. Adam threatened to make this information public unless Erica remarried him publicly. Erica, needing to avoid scandal for a custody hearing for daughter Bianca, agreed. Erica did everything in her power to make Adam's life miserable and eventually it worked-Adam legally divorced Erica. By this time, he had managed to get his financial empire back.

Adam became enchanted by Stuart's girlfriend, sultry Gloria Marsh. He courted Gloria away from Stuart, and married her. Suspecting Gloria of having an affair with Alec McIntyre, Adam faked his own kidnapping. Gloria learned the truth and upon Adam's "return" publicly berated him. However, Gloria soon discovered she was pregnant with Adam's child. The two's relationship of distrust continued, eventually prompting Adam to kidnap Gloria and keep her locked in an abandoned building. Gloria gave birth prematurely to their daughter, Anna Claire, but the lack of medical attention caused the baby to die. Adam was guilt ridden. Gloria went insane and tried to poison Adam, who recovered. His guilt prompted him to drop all charges against Gloria and the two divorced.

Adam decided he wanted Brooke back and began courting her. However, a wiser Brooke was not about to fall for Adam easily. She had been casually dating Pierce Reilly, which angered Adam to no end. Adam found an ally in Liza Colby, who was unhappy that the object of her affection, Tad, did not return her interest. Liza and Adam decided to get married, in the hope that Tad and Brooke would stop the wedding, proving they still loved their respective exes. Tad and Brooke caught on to their scheme and attended the wedding, never once interjecting. Liza and Adam were married, and soon developed feelings for each other, layered underneath mutual distrust. Liza soon discovered she was pregnant. After a malfunction on a plane, a pregnant Liza lost their child. Unbeknownst to her at the time was that Adam owned the airline and had cut costs, prompting there to be a problem on their flight. When Liza found out, she blamed Adam and vowed to leave him. Adam then faked having a stroke to gain sympathy and bring out Liza's true feelings. It worked for a while, but when Liza and Hayley found out, they were furious. Liza filed for divorce. When Liza realized that the miscarriage was due to a disease and not the plane crash, she personally forgave Adam, but both parties were too proud to admit their true feelings and stop the divorce from being finalized.

A woman named Camille Hawkins came to town with a vendetta against Adam. Camille's father, Lee, told her that Adam was responsible for the death of her mother, Joy. In actuality, years earlier Adam had saved Joy from an abusive Lee and fell in love with her. Camille eventually saw the light, but Lee proved a danger to the Chandlers, even kidnapping Hayley and JR and nearly killing Adam's nephew Scott. The terror ended with Lee's apparent death.

Adam and Liza started to grow close again, but Liza was wary of Adam based on past experiences. Learning that Liza planned to have a baby via artificial insemination by Jake Martin, Adam bought the fertility clinic and switched his sperm samples with Jake's. He was convinced they would reconcile, and thus having a baby by anyone else other than Adam would be a mistake. Unbeknownst to Liza, she was pregnant with Adam's child. Eventually, Liza accepted Adam's marriage proposal and the two wed for a second time. Jake, not wanting his child to have anything to do with Adam Chandler, sued for custody. During the hearing, it came out that Liza's child, Colby, was Adam's as well and a sickened Liza divorced Adam.

Stuart disappeared and was believed dead, leaving Adam in a state of deep depression. Liza, who still had feelings for Adam, tried to console him but Adam pushed everyone away. Self-destructive, he married Hayley's mother, alcoholic Arlene Vaughan. Stuart showed up alive, and Adam came out of his depression-still married to Arlene. Shortly after, Hayley thought she killed her mother in a fit of anger while under the influence of the drug Libidozone. Adam tried to cover up Hayley's crime, but it only aroused more suspicion. Eventually, Arlene was discovered alive and Adam divorced her. Reconciled after the Arlene ordeal, Adam and Liza married for a third time.

David Hayward discovered JR stealing drugs and threatened to turn him in unless Adam got Judge Kaye Campobello to drop the charges against David for drugging a yacht with Libidozone. Adam was forced to comply and slept with Kaye to get her to drop the charges. Liza found out and, furious, began an affair with Ryan Lavery. Soon Liza was pregnant with Ryan's child but miscarried, causing more strains with Adam. Angry at Adam, Liza used her position at Chandler Enterprises to embezzle millions from Adam.

When Liza developed a brain tumor, Adam used the opportunity to have full custody of Colby taken from Liza and given to him. Liza recovered from her tumor, but Adam decided to gaslight her, and make her think she was having a recurrence. He hoped to use this opportunity to secure full custody of Colby. Liza caught on to him and forced Adam into marriage counseling in order to save their marriage. Their efforts failed, and Liza and Adam agreed to an amicable divorce.

Adam's alliance with Michael Cambias in an effort to get his hands on Cambias Industries proved to backfire when Michael outmaneuvered Adam and managed to take over Chandler Enterprises. Adam vowed revenge and along with Palmer Cortlandt, attempted to kill Michael Cambias (Michael had already been murdered and the body moved, however).

Adam was delighted when his son JR returned from his time on a steamer ship. He was not enthused, however, to meet JR's new wife, Babe. Adam set about trying to prove Babe as a gold digger, and hired his private investigator to dig up information. Adam was about to reveal Babe's colorful past with men when she shocked Adam and JR with the news she was pregnant. When JR learned that Babe had slept with Jamie Martin, he demanded a paternity test. Adam was hopeful that the baby was Jamie's and thus would spell the end of JR and Babe. The results of the paternity test named JR as the father of Babe's unborn child, but it has not cooled Adam's desire to get Babe out of his son's life.

Adam was overjoyed with the birth of his granddaughter, Bess. Adam, along with most of Pine Valley, was unaware that Bess was actually Bianca Montgomery's daughter. Thanks to a complicated scheme by Babe's ex, the villainous Paul Cramer. Babe ended up with Bianca's daughter, while her son was given to Kelly Buchanan (of One Life To Live) who named him Ace.

JR learned that Babe had originally married him while still married to Paul Cramer, and had lied about it on numerous occasions. Furious, he wanted Babe out of his life and custody of Bess for himself. Adam supported JR in his efforts, which included drugging Babe to get her to sleep with Jamie, then framing Jamie for the incident.

Liza, seeing that JR had become as emotionally corrupt as Adam, feared for Colby's future and left town. With help from Tad, Liza and Colby adopted new identities so Adam could never find them. Furious, Adam used a doctored security tape (that made it appear as if Jamie and Babe were hiring someone to kill JR) and threatened Tad: Help Adam find Liza and Colby or Jamie would go to prison. Tad got his hands on all copies of the tape so Adam's threat was voided, but he remained determined to find his daughter-no matter what the cost.

After Babe left town with Jamie, JR confessed to his father that Babe had left a note that said that Bess was actually Miranda, Bianca's presumed deceased daughter, and that his son with Babe had died in the chopper crash. JR refused to accept this, claiming it was a lie of Babe's to hurt him. Adam questioned Bess's maternity, but JR threatened to leave town forever with the baby if Adam pursued his suspicions. Bianca herself learned the truth, but fell off a balcony and entered a coma. Erica, now armed with the knowledge about Miranda, demanded Adam authorize a DNA test to legally prove that Bianca's child was alive and being raised as Bess. Erica appealed to Adam's inability to fully embrace a child that he knew may not be a Chandler, but Adam refused to betray JR and grant a test. Adam could not deny his suspicions and the inevitable pain JR would face, so he agreed to a DNA test. The results came back and proved that Bess was Miranda. With the evidence in hand, Erica took Miranda and brought her back to Bianca. JR was devastated at the loss of the baby he had grown to love, and the realization that his son had died. Furious with this father's betrayal, JR banished Adam from his life.