Jennifer Pritzker | |
---|---|
Born | James Nicholas Pritzker August 13, 1950 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Education | Loyola University Chicago (BA) |
Occupation(s) | Investor, philanthropist |
Known for | First transgender billionaire, founder of Tawani Foundation and Pritzker Military Museum & Library |
Political party | Republican (formerly) [1] |
Spouses | Ayelet ben Mordechai (div. 1987)Lisa I. Goren (div. 1997)Erin E. Solaro (m. 2020) |
Children | 3 |
Parent | Robert Pritzker (father) |
Awards | Colonel (honorary) (IL) |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service | |
Years of service | |
Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
Awards |
Jennifer Natalya Pritzker (born James Nicholas Pritzker; August 13, 1950) is an American investor, philanthropist, and member of the Pritzker family. Pritzker retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Illinois Army National Guard (ILARNG) in 2001, and was later made an honorary Illinois colonel. Founder of the Tawani Foundation in 1995, Tawani Enterprises in 1996, and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in 2003, Pritzker has been involved with civic applications of inherited and accrued wealth, including significant donations to broaden understanding and support for "citizen soldiers."
In August 2013, Pritzker released a statement to employees at Tawani Enterprises and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library that subsequently received wide media coverage, indicating the change from "J. N." to "Jennifer Natalya" to reflect her status as a transgender woman, making her the first and only openly transgender billionaire.
She is the cousin of current Illinois governor J. B. Pritzker and former US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. [2]
She was born James Nicholas Pritzker [3] to Robert Pritzker and Audrey (née Gilbert) Pritzker in Chicago, Illinois. [4] Five years of her youth were spent in Oberlin, Ohio, living next door to the Weltzheimer/Johnson House, which Pritzker cites as an establishing factor in her love for Frank Lloyd Wright, architecture, and preservation and restoration in general. [5]
As a granddaughter of A.N. Pritzker, she is a member of the Pritzker family, one of the wealthiest families in America. [6] Her ancestors immigrated to America with very little, with great grandfather Naphtali ben Yakov Pritzker escaping pogroms as a child in the Russian Empire in 1881 and working through poverty to see eventual success as head of a thriving law firm in Chicago. [7] She has two siblings, Linda Pritzker (b. 1953) and Karen Pritzker Vlock (b. 1958). [6] Her parents divorced in 1979, and she has two half-siblings, Matthew Pritzker and Liesel Pritzker Simmons, from the remarriage of her father, Robert, to Irene Dryburgh in 1980. [8] (Her mother also remarried, to Albert B. Ratner in 1981). [9] Pritzker is Jewish. [10]
Pritzker says her most memorable experiences in life were in Israel in October 1973 when she witnessed events of the Yom Kippur War. [3] Pritzker enlisted in the U.S. Army on February 8, 1974, and served with the HQ Troop, and with the B Troop, 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, rising to the rank of Sergeant. [3] Pritzker's roles while enlisted included aviation repair parts clerk, rifleman, and fire team leader.
After completing military service in February 1977, [3] Pritzker enrolled at Loyola University of Chicago, majoring in history, and entered its Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps program. [3] Pritzker graduated with a BA in History in May 1979, and received commission as an Army officer that same month. [3]
Pritzker first served with the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with duty assignments that included leading rifle and TOW platoons, and time in the Commandant Division, and the Anti-Armor School. [3] Pritzker served as a staff officer with the VII Corps at Kelley Barracks,[ citation needed ] in Germany, from 1984–1985. [3] Her active duty ended in 1985. [11] [ verification needed ] After 16 years in the Army Reserves and Illinois Army National Guard, [12] Pritzker retired from the Army National Guard as a lieutenant colonel, in 2001. [13] After retiring, Pritzker was made an honorary Illinois colonel. [11] [ better source needed ]
While serving,[ where? ] Pritzker was awarded[ when? ] the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Good Conduct Medal, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, the National Defense Service Medal with Star, the Antarctic Service Medal, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 20 year Device, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon, the State of Louisiana Legion of Merit, the State of Illinois Long and Honorable Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the State of Illinois Military Attendance Ribbon with Numeral 6, the U.S. Army Parachute Badge and the Air Assault Badge. [11] [ verification needed ]
Pritzker earned airborne badges from Israel, Russia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Great Britain, [3] [11] [ verification needed ] as well as from Poland; [11] [ verification needed ] according to Steven Mrozek, "Most memorable of these was a parachute jump at the North Pole with the Russians in 1993." [3]
On September 17, 2024, Pritzker was awarded a Badge of Honor from the Ukrainian National Guard’s Presidential Brigade, in honor of her commitment to supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. More than $5.4 million has been contributed through Pritzker’s personal efforts and grants provided by Tawani Foundation, with $1.3 million in cold weather gear for the Ukrainian National Guard, and $3.6 million toward Operation White Stork, a “no weapons” non-profit organization led by U.S. veterans to provide individual first aid kits and other medical needs in Ukraine. [14]
Pritzker has founded or served with a number of business and philanthropic organizations. In 1996, she incorporated Tawani Enterprises, where she served as chairwoman, president, and CEO, [3] [14] a business entity with current stated purpose as a "private wealth management company established to manage the personal wealth, philanthropic endeavors, and military interests ... " [15] [16] [ better source needed ] Interests of the company include significant Chicago real estate holdings. [17] [ better source needed ] In 1995, Pritzker created the Tawani Foundation, and in 2003, she founded the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, both dedicated to the understanding and support of the "citizen soldier." [11] [12] In addition, Pritzker serves as Chairwoman of the Board of the Connecticut-based private equity firm Squadron Capital LLC, in which she has been identified a principal investor. [12] [ when? ] [11] [ better source needed ] [18] [ better source needed ] Finally, Pritzker has served as Special Projects Director for the National Strategy Forum,[ when? ] [19] as Chair of the Board and co-owner of National Security Ltd. (1988–1995),[ verification needed ] [20] [ better source needed ] [3] and is active in number of further philanthropic enterprises.[ clarification needed ] [3]
In 2016, Pritzker was presented the Bonham Centre Award from The Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, University of Toronto, for her contributions to the advancement and education of issues around sexual identification. [21]
Jennifer Pritzker is part of a Chicago-based, women-led group headed by Laura Ricketts that purchased NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars in 2023. [22]
Jennifer Pritzker's father Robert, and Robert's brothers Jay and Donald, built and diversified a Chicago-based family business, the Marmon Group, into a holding company of more than 60 diverse industrial corporations;[ citation needed ] they also created the Hyatt Hotel chain in 1957, and owned Braniff Airlines from 1983–1988. [23] The family later began divesting of many of these assets. In 2006, the family sold Conwood, a smokeless tobacco company, for $3.5 billion to cigarette company Reynolds American Inc. [24] In 2007, the family sold a 60% stake, and sold control of the Marmon Group to Berkshire Hathaway for $4.5 billion, [23] a sale that it completed in 2013. [25] [ better source needed ] In 2010, the family sold its majority stake in Transunion, the Chicago-based credit reporting company, to Chicago-based private-equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners for an undisclosed amount. [24] As a member of the Robert's line of the Pritzker family, Pritzker has inherited and accumulated wealth that is estimated at US $2.2 billion. [23]
Pritzker created the Tawani Foundation in 1995, [26] which aims "to enhance the awareness and understanding of the importance of the Citizen Soldier; to preserve unique sites of significance to American and military history; to foster health and wellness projects for improved quality of life; and to honor the service of military personnel, past, present and future." [26] [27] In 2003, the Tawani Foundation made a $1.35 million donation to the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, to study the feasibility of transgender people serving in the military and in the ranks of police and fire departments. [12] In 2013, the Foundation donated $25 million to Norwich University, in Northfield, Vermont, the school credited with developing and establishing the first Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program in the country. [28] In 2016, through her Foundation, Pritzker gave a $2 million donation to create the world's first endowed academic chair of transgender studies, at the University of Victoria in British Columbia; Aaron Devor was chosen as the inaugural chair. [29]
Pritzker was a Republican [30] and major donor to candidates and organizations such as the National Rifle Association of America, John McCain, and Mitt Romney. [31] [32] However, as of 2019, she was reevaluating her support, citing the Trump administration's transgender military ban and other anti-LGBTQ policies: "When the GOP asks me to deliver six- or seven-figure contributions for the 2020 elections, my first response will be: why should I contribute to my own destruction?" [7] [33]
In August 2020, Pritzker donated $2,000 to the presidential campaign of Joe Biden. [34]
In October 2020, Pritzker donated $100,000 to the Lincoln Project, led by Republican strategists, some of whom endorsed Joe Biden to prevent the re-election of Donald Trump. [35]
During the third quarter of 2020, Pritzker was recognized as a member of the Chairman's Circle, signifying a $25,000 contribution to the Libertarian Party. [36]
Pritzker has a daughter from a first marriage to Ayelet ben Mordechai, which ended in 1987, [7] and two sons from her marriage to Lisa I. Goren, which ended in 1997. [3] [7] [11] [37] On October 31, 2020, Pritzker married Erin E. Solaro. [38]
In August 2013 it was claimed publicly that Pritzker was the world's first transgender billionaire. [39]
Linda Pritzker 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 in Missoula, Montana. She is a member of the Pritzker family, known for the Hyatt Hotel fortune.
Robert Alan Pritzker was an American businessman and member of the wealthy Pritzker family.
The Pritzker family is an American family engaged in entrepreneurship and philanthropy, and one of the wealthiest families in the United States. Its fortune started in the 20th century, particularly through the founding and expansion of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Liesel Pritzker Simmons, 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, and as Alice Marshall in Air Force One. She is a member of the wealthy Pritzker family. She is now known as a leader in impact investing and founded the Blue Haven Initiative in 2012 to that end.
Jay Arthur Pritzker was an American entrepreneur, conglomerate organizer, and member of the Pritzker family. He was a founder of the Hyatt Corporation, having purchased the first Hyatt Hotel in 1957, and was responsible for the corporation's evolution into a multinational hospitality conglomerate.
Penny Sue Pritzker is an American billionaire heiress, 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 97–1.
Francis W. Parker School is an independent school serving students who live in the Chicago area from Pre-K through twelfth grade. Located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, the school is based on the progressive education philosophies of John Dewey and Colonel Francis Wayland Parker, emphasizing community and citizenship. Tuition and fees range from $40,910 for kindergarten to $46,760 for grade 12.
The Pritzker Military Museum & Library is a non-profit museum and a research library for the study of military history on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The institution was founded in 2003, and its specialist collections include material relating to Winston Churchill and war-related sheet music.
Jill Morgenthaler was the 2008 Democratic nominee for Illinois' 6th congressional district, defeating Stan Jagla in the primary. Morgenthaler was defeated by Peter Roskam, a Wheaton, Illinois Republican, in the November 2008 general election, by a 16% margin.
Heather Adeline Steans is a former Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 7th district. She was appointed after winning a special primary election that followed the mid-term resignation of her predecessor, Senator Carol Ronen. She resigned from office on January 19, 2021 after 12 years in office.
Carlo Winthrop D'Este was an American military historian and biographer, author of several books, especially on World War II. He was a decorated U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. In 2011, he was awarded the Pritzker Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing. D'Este died at age 84 in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Aaron H. Devor is a Canadian sociologist and sexologist known for researching transsexuality and transgender communities. Devor has taught at the University of Victoria since 1989 and is the former dean of graduate studies. Devor is the current Chair in Transgender Studies at the University of Victoria, and the founder and subject matter expert of The Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria Libraries. He is also the founder and host of the Moving Trans History Forward conferences. Maclean's, a Canadian weekly news magazine, described Devor as "an internationally respected expert on gender, sex and sexuality."
Jay Robert Pritzker is an American businessman and politician serving since 2019 as the 43rd governor of Illinois. Pritzker, a member of the wealthy Pritzker family that owns the Hyatt hotel chain, has started several venture capital and investment startups, including the Pritzker Group, where he is managing partner.
Matthew Pritzker is an American heir based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2008 he founded the Matthew Pritzker Company. The company's focus is on investing Pritzker's inheritance in real estate, technology, media, consumer, and manufacturing. Pritzker supports a number of local and national charities and institutions.
John A. Pritzker is an American billionaire and investor. He is a member of the Pritzker family, the grandson of A.N. Pritzker and son of Jay Pritzker,
Karen L. Pritzker is an American documentary film producer, investor, and philanthropist. She is a member of the Pritzker family, the granddaughter of A.N. Pritzker and daughter of Robert Pritzker.
Richard Ellis Uihlein and Elizabeth Uihlein are American billionaire businesspeople, founders of Uline and right-wing donors. Richard Uihlein is also an heir to the Schlitz brewing fortune.
James Mukoyama was the youngest American to command a United States Army division. He served over thirty years on active and reserve duty in the Army, including service in Korea and Vietnam.
Kenneth A. Clarke serves as the executive director for Rescue Village, a humane society located in Geauga County, Ohio. He had previously served as the president and CEO of Pritzker Military Museum and Library in Chicago. He has also authored, published, edited and produced works as Kenneth Clarke and KC Clarke.
The Chair in Transgender Studies is the world's first research chair focusing on the study of transgender individuals, issues, and history. It is housed at the University of Victoria, located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Unlike any other university department chair at the University of Victoria, the Chair in Transgender Studies is self-funded through philanthropy and private donations. The chair is unique in that it does not grant degrees, but instead works with both community and academic communities to further the advancement of transgender studies. Aaron Devor, the inaugural and current chair, works with researchers, community members, academics, and advocates to advance the study of trans scholarship. The chair focuses on four pillars: original research, continued scholarship, maintenance and growth of the Transgender Archives, and organization of Canada's largest international transgender conference, Moving Trans History Forward.
Daughter Tal was born at Fort Campbell in 1982, during her first marriage, to Israeli-born Ayelet ben Mordechai, which ended in divorce in 1987.
[Extensive list of self-published biographical information.]
Subtitle: An heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune who changed his identity from male to female has a far-reaching impact on Illinois real estate, business and philanthropy.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link)Incorporation Date (Domestic), 04/23/1996.
Incorporation Date (Domestic), 02/25/1988 ... VOLUNTARY DISSOLUTION 12 26 95.
In 1995, Pritzker founded the Tawani Foundation, which works to preserve military history and historical sites. The foundation's mission is to emphasize the importance of the 'citizen soldier' ...