The Pritzker family is an American family engaged in

entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...

and philanthropy, and one of the wealthiest families in the United States of America (staying in the top 10 of ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

'' magazine's "America's Richest Families" list since the magazine began such listings in 1982). Its fortune arose in the 20th century—particularly through the founding and expansion of the Hyatt hotel corporation. Family members still largely own Hyatt, and prior to its sale to

Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway Inc. () is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Its main business and source of capital is insurance, from which it invests the float (the retained premiu ...

, the

Marmon Group Marmon Group is an American industrial holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois; founded by Jay Pritzker and Robert Pritzker in 1953 (as Colson Corporation), it has been held by the Berkshire Hathaway group since 2013. It owns compani ...

, a conglomerate of manufacturing and industrial service companies. Their holdings also have included the

Superior Bank of Chicago The Superior Bank FSB was a Hinsdale, Illinois-based savings and loan association that collapsed in July 2001 with some $2.3b in assets.Joseph Weber and Lorraine Woellert ''Business Week'' September 10, 2001 It was co-owned by the Pritzker family o ...

(which collapsed in 2001), the

TransUnion TransUnion is an American consumer credit reporting agency. TransUnion collects and aggregates information on over one billion individual consumers in over thirty countries including "200 million files profiling nearly every credit-active consume ...

credit bureau A credit bureau is a data collection agency that gathers account information from various creditors and provides that information to a consumer reporting agency in the United States, a credit reference agency in the United Kingdom, a credit repor ...

Braniff Braniff Airways, Inc., operated as Braniff International Airways from 1948 until 1965, and then Braniff International from 1965 until air operations ceased, was an airline in the United States that once flew air carrier operations from 1928 un ...

airlines, ''

McCall's ''McCall's'' was a monthly American women's magazine, published by the McCall Corporation, that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-f ...

'' magazine, and the Royal Caribbean

cruise line A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships that operate on ocean or rivers and which markets cruises to the public. Cruise lines are distinct from passenger lines which are primarily concerned with transportation of passengers. Though ...

. The Pritzker family is of

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

descent, and based in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

Family fortune

In 1995, Jay Pritzker, the cofounder of Hyatt, stepped down and Thomas Pritzker took control of The

Pritzker Organization The Pritzker family is an American family engaged in entrepreneurship and philanthropy, and one of the wealthiest families in the United States of America (staying in the top 10 of ''Forbes'' magazine's "America's Richest Families" list since the ...

. When the former died in 1999, the family split the business into 11 pieces worth $1.4 billion each (and chose to

settle Settle or SETTLE may refer to: Places * Settle, Kentucky, United States * Settle, North Yorkshire, a town in England ** Settle Rural District, a historical administrative district Music * Settle (band), an indie rock band from Pennsylvania * ''S ...

a lawsuit from two family members, who apparently received $500 million each, in 2005). By 2011, the dissolution had been completed, and the cousins had gone their separate ways, with some pursuing business, and others philanthropic or artistic ventures. According to ''Inside Philanthropy'', there are many Pritzkers, with many different vehicles or foundations for their philanthropic giving.

Genealogy

* Jacob Pritzker (1831–1896) and Sophia Schwarzman (1850–1910) ** Nicholas Pritzker (1871–1957), Jewish immigrant from

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyi ...

, founder of Pritzker & Pritzker law firm in Chicago and a cousin of the existentialist philosopher

Lev Shestov Lev Isaakovich Shestov (russian: Лев Исаа́кович Шесто́в; 31 January .S. 13 February 1866 – 19 November 1938), born Yehuda Leib Shvartsman (russian: Иегуда Лейб Шварцман), was a Russian existentialist and re ...

(Schwartzman), married Annie P. Cohn ***

Harry Nicholas Pritzker Harry Nicholas Pritzker (August 1, 1892 – August 1956) was an American businessman and member of the Pritzker family. Early life and education Harry was the son of Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants Annie P. (née Cohn) and Nicholas J. Pritzker. His f ...

(1893–1957), lawyer at Pritzker and Pritzker law firm, married Elna Stone **** Richard S. Pritzker (1944-2015), married Lori Hart **** Joanne Pritzker (1946–1955) ***

Abram Nicholas Pritzker Abram Nicholas Pritzker (January 6, 1896 – February 8, 1986) was an American businessman and member of the Pritzker family. Early life and education Abram was the son of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, Annie P. (née Cohn) and Nicholas J. Pritzk ...

(1896–1986), patriarch of family business enterprise, married Fanny Doppelt ****

Jay Pritzker Jay Arthur Pritzker (August 26, 1922 – January 23, 1999) was an American entrepreneur, conglomerate organizer, and member of the Pritzker family. Early life and education Pritzker was born in Chicago, Illinois to Jewish parents who emi ...

(1922–1999), co-founder of Hyatt, philanthropist, founder of the Pritzker Prize. Married Marian "Cindy" Friend ***** Nancy Pritzker (1948–1972) *****

Thomas Pritzker Thomas Pritzker (born June 6, 1950) is an American billionaire heir and businessman. A member of the Pritzker family, he is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Pritzker Organization (TPO), which manages the various Pritzker fami ...

(born 1950), chief executive of The Pritzker Organization, married Margot Marshall *****

John Pritzker John A. Pritzker (born 1953), the grandson of A.N. Pritzker and son of Jay Pritzker, is an American billionaire and investor. He is a member of the Pritzker family. Early life and education Pritzker was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Mari ...

(born 1953) ******

Adam Pritzker Adam Pritzker (born July 17, 1984) is an American entrepreneur. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Assembled Brands, a holding company of consumer brands, and was co-founder and chairman of General Assembly, a private school for professiona ...

(born 1984), co-founder and chairman of

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presb ...

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

trustee *****

Daniel Pritzker Daniel Pritzker (born 1959) is an American billionaire heir, musician, film director, and member of the Pritzker family. Early life Pritzker was born to a Jewish family, the son of Marian (née Friend) and Jay Pritzker. He is the grandson of A ...

(born 1959), founder, guitarist and songwriter for the band

Sonia Dada Sonia Dada was an American rock, soul, and rhythm and blues band, formed in Chicago in 1990. Founding member Daniel Pritzker enlisted Michael Scott, Paris Delane, and Sam Hogan after hearing the latter three sing in a subway station.Biography ...

, and documentary filmmaker, married Karen Edensword ***** Jean (Gigi) Pritzker (born 1962), filmmaker, married Michael Pucker ****

Robert Pritzker Robert Alan 'Bob' Pritzker (June 30, 1926 – October 27, 2011) was an American businessman and member of the wealthy Pritzker family. Biography Pritzker was born to a Jewish family, the Pritzker family,Marmon Group Marmon Group is an American industrial holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois; founded by Jay Pritzker and Robert Pritzker in 1953 (as Colson Corporation), it has been held by the Berkshire Hathaway group since 2013. It owns compani ...

and philanthropist, married to Audrey Gilbert, Irene Dryburgh, and Mayari Sargent ***** Jennifer N. Pritzker (born James, 1950), Colonel (Ret), Illinois Army National Guard, founder of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library *****

Linda Pritzker Linda Pritzker (born September 1953) also known by the name Lama Tsomo is an American lama in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She is a spiritual teacher, author, philanthropist, and co-founder of the Namchak Foundation and Namchak Retreat Ranch ...

(born 1953),

Tibetan Buddhist Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...

lama, author ***** Karen Pritzker (born 1958), married Michael Vlock ***** Matthew Pritzker (born 1982) *****

Liesel Pritzker Liesel Pritzker Simmons (born Liesel Anne Pritzker), stage name Liesel Matthews, is an American heiress and former child actress. She starred as Sara Crewe in ''A Little Princess'', a 1995 film adaptation of the Frances Hodgson Burnett classic, ...

(born 1984), actress, married Ian Simmons ****

Donald Pritzker Donald Nicholas Pritzker (October 31, 1932 – May 6, 1972) was an American entrepreneur, businessman. He is a member of the Pritzker family and served as the president of Hyatt, where he helped grow the hotel chain. He is the father of ...

(1932–1972), co-founder and president of Hyatt, married Sue Sandel *****

Penny Pritzker Penny Sue Pritzker (born May 2, 1959) is an American billionaire businesswoman and civic leader who served as the 38th United States secretary of commerce in the Obama administration from 2013 to 2017. She was confirmed by a Senate vote of 97� ...

(born 1959), 38th

United States Secretary of Commerce The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary rep ...

, chairman and CEO of PSP Capital Partners and Artemis Real Estate Partners, 2012 national co-chair of Obama for America, former Stanford University trustee, married Bryan Traubert *****

Anthony Pritzker Anthony Nicholas Pritzker (born January 7, 1961) is a member of the Pritzker family and an heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune; he serves as managing partner of the Pritzker Group. Early life and education Pritzker was born to a Jewish family, one o ...

(born 1961), married Jeanne Kriser *****

J. B. Pritzker Jay Robert "J. B." Pritzker (born January 19, 1965) is an American billionaire businessman, philanthropist, and politician serving as the 43rd governor of Illinois since 2019. A member of the wealthy Pritzker family, which owns the worldwide ...

(born 1965), founder of Pritzker Group Venture Capital (formerly New World Ventures), co-founder of Pritzker Group,

Governor of Illinois The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by p ...

(2019–present), national co-chairman of the

Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008 The 2008 presidential campaign of Hillary Rodham Clinton, then junior United States senator from New York, was announced on her website on January 20, 2007. Hillary Clinton was previously the First Lady of the United States and First Lady of ...

, married M.K. Muenster. ***

Jack Nicholas Pritzker Jack Nicholas Pritzker (January 6, 1904 - October 30, 1979) was an American businessman and member of the Pritzker family. Early life and education Jack Pritzker was the son of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants Annie P. (née Cohn) and Nicholas J. Pr ...

(1904–1979), real estate developer and lawyer, married Rhoda Goldberg (1914–2007) ****

Nicholas J. Pritzker Nicholas J. Pritzker is an American real estate and venture entrepreneur in San Francisco, California. He served as the Chairman of the board and CEO of the Hyatt Development Corporation. He is a member of the wealthy Pritzker family, who owned ...

(born 1944), Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Hyatt Development Corporation, married Susan Stowell

Family members fortune

Members of the Pritzker family on the ''

Forbes 400 The ''Forbes'' 400 or 400 Richest Americans is a list published by ''Forbes'' magazine of the wealthiest 400 American citizens who own assets in the U.S., ranked by net worth. The 400 was started by Malcolm Forbes in 1982 and the list is pub ...

'' list of "The 400 Richest Americans 2015":

Legacy

A.N. Pritzker Elementary School A.N. Pritzker school is located in the Wicker Park neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. Pritzker School serves grades K-8 with its neighborhood magnet-cluster school focused on fine and performing arts and a Regional Gifted Center. Pritzker also o ...

* Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Chicago's

Millennium Park Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago, operated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. The park, opened in 2004 and intended to celebrate the third millennium, is a prominent civic center nea ...

* Pritzker Architecture Prize * Pritzker Family Children's Zoo at the

Lincoln Park Zoo Lincoln Park Zoo, also known as Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens, is a zoo in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. The zoo was founded in 1868, making it the fourth oldest zoo in North America. It is also one of a few free admission zoos in the Unit ...

* Pritzker College Prep, a Campus of the Noble Network of Charter High Schools * Pritzker Institute of Biomedical Science and Engineering at the

Illinois Institute of Technology Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...

* Pritzker School of Law at

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

**Pritzker Legal Research Center at Northwestern *

Pritzker School of Medicine The Pritzker School of Medicine is the M.D.-granting unit of the Biological Sciences Division of the University of Chicago. It is located on the university's main campus in the historic Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago and matriculated its ...

at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

(UChicago) * Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at UChicago * Pritzker Marine Biological Research Center at New College of Florida * Pritzker Galleries of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism at the Art Institute of Chicago * Pritzker Traubert Family Library at the

University of Chicago Laboratory Schools The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (also known as Lab or Lab Schools and abbreviated as UCLS though the high school is nicknamed U-High) is a private, co-educational day Pre-K and K-12 school in Chicago, Illinois. It is affiliated with ...

* The Pritzker Organization * Pritzker Edition of '' Zohar'' (the Book of Radiance), translation & commentary by Daniel Matt and, for last 3 volumes, Nathan Wolski and Joel Hecker; 12 vols, Stanford University Press, 1997-2017 * Pritzker Military Museum and Library-cited earlier in this article. * Robert A. Pritzker Center for Meteoritics and Polar Studies in the Field Museum of Natural History

References

{{Reflist American billionaires Business families of the United States Jewish-American families American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent

Family fortune

Genealogy

Family members fortune

Legacy

See also

References