Liesel Pritzker Simmons

Last updated
Liesel Pritzker Simmons
Liesel Pritzker Simmons VJR27344 (47942429808) (cropped).jpg
Pritzker in 2019
Born
Liesel Anne Pritzker

(1984-03-14) March 14, 1984 (age 40)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Other namesLiesel Matthews (stage name)
Education Columbia University (BA)
Occupation Heiress
Years active1995–2000
SpouseIan Simmons
Parent Robert Pritzker (father)
Relatives A.N. Pritzker (grandfather)
Matthew Pritzker (brother)
Jennifer N. Pritzker (half-sister)
Linda Pritzker (half-sister)
Karen Pritzker (half-sister)
See Pritzker family

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, 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.

Contents

Early life and education

Pritzker was born on March 14, 1984 in Chicago, Illinois, into the Pritzker family, the daughter of Irene (née Dryburgh) and Robert Pritzker. [1] [2] Her father founded The Marmon Group with his brother Jay Pritzker. She is of Jewish origin on her father's side and her mother is Australian. [1] [2] Her mother met her father while working at a Pritzker-owned Hyatt hotel in Australia; they married in 1980 and divorced in 1989. [2] She has one brother, Matthew Pritzker, and three half-siblings from her father's first marriage to Audrey Gilbert Pritzker: Jennifer N. Pritzker; Linda Pritzker; and Karen Pritzker Vlock. She was named after the Sound of Music character Liesl von Trapp, the eldest daughter of the seven von Trapp children. [3] She is one of twelve surviving grandchildren of patriarch A.N. Pritzker, a financier and industrialist who died in 1986. Her uncle, Jay Pritzker, is the founder of the Hyatt Hotel chain, and owned Braniff Airlines from 1983 to 1988. Her cousin is J. B. Pritzker, the 43rd Governor of Illinois. The family controls the TransUnion Credit Bureau and the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. [4] [5] The Pritzker family has been near the top of Forbes magazine's "America's Richest Families" list since the list began in 1982. Pritzker graduated from New Trier High School outside of Chicago and enrolled at Columbia University, from which she graduated in 2006. [6] [7]

Acting career

Liesel Pritzker uses the name "Liesel Matthews" as an actress on stage and screen, first to honor her brother Matthew, and second to avoid conflict between her divorced parents about whether she should incorporate her stepfather's name and be known as Liesel Pritzker-Bagley. [8]

Pritzker made her professional stage debut as Scout in a production of To Kill A Mockingbird in Chicago. She won a Theatre World Award for her performance in Vincent in Brixton . She starred in two major films, Alfonso Cuaron's A Little Princess and Wolfgang Petersen's 1997 action thriller Air Force One . [9]

In 2002, Pritzker played the character Jenn in Neil Labute's play The Distance from Here at the Almeida Theatre at King's Cross in London, England with Enrico Colantoni, Ana Reeder, Amy Ryan, Jason Ritter, and Mark Webber in the cast. David Leveaux was director. [10]

Lawsuit

In 2002, Pritzker, then a first-year student at Columbia University, filed a $6 billion lawsuit against her father and eleven older cousins, claiming they had misappropriated money from trusts established for her and her brother Matthew Pritzker. In early 2005, the parties settled the lawsuit, which followed another suit that had begun the process of splitting the family fortune eleven ways. That result placed eleven Pritzkers into the Forbes 400, the most from any single family. [11] Under the settlement, Liesel and Matthew each received roughly U.S. $280 million in cash and were given more control over other trusts valued at about U.S. $170 million each. [5]

Philanthropy and projects

Liesel Pritzker is the founder of Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO), a network of young professionals who aim to inspire, educate, and involve others in microfinance and the work of Opportunity International. In June 2009, she donated $4 million to Opportunity International to help expand microfinance services in Africa. [12] She is the co-founder of the IDP Foundation, Inc., and Blue Haven Initiative. [13] [14]

Personal life

Pritzker is married to Ian Simmons; they live in Greater Boston with their daughters. [15] [16]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1995 A Little Princess Sara CreweNominated – Young Artist Awards for Best Young Leading Actress in a Feature Film
1997 Air Force One Alice Marshall
2000BlastJessie 'Ears'

Related Research Articles

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacation properties. Hyatt Hotels & Resorts is one of the businesses managed by the Pritzker family. Hyatt has more than 1350 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 69 countries, across South America, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda Pritzker</span> American lama and billionaire heiress

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.

Thomas Pritzker 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 family business assets. Pritzker is also the executive chairman of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

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.

<i>A Little Princess</i> (1995 film) Film by Alfonso Cuarón

A Little Princess is a 1995 American fantasy drama film directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Loosely based upon the 1905 novel A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the film stars Eleanor Bron, Liam Cunningham, Liesel Matthews, Vanessa Lee Chester, Rusty Schwimmer, Arthur Malet, and Errol Sitahal. Its plot, heavily influenced by the 1939 cinematic version, focuses on a young girl who is relegated to a life of servitude at a New York boarding school after receiving news that her father was killed in combat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Pritzker</span> Cofounder of Hyatt Hotels Corp

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.

Abram Nicholas Pritzker was an American businessman and member of the Pritzker family.

<i>The Book Thief</i> 2006 novel by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief is a historical fiction novel by the Australian author Markus Zusak, set in Nazi Germany during World War II. Published in 2005, The Book Thief became an international bestseller and was translated into 63 languages and sold 17 million copies. It was adapted into the 2013 feature film, The Book Thief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penny Pritzker</span> American businesswoman (born 1959)

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.

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 chewing-tobacco giant Conwood before selling it to Reynolds American.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's World Banking</span> Nonprofit organization

Women's World Banking is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to women's economic empowerment through financial inclusion.

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.

Donald Nicholas Pritzker was an American businessman. He was a member of the Pritzker family and served as the president of Hyatt, where he helped grow the hotel chain.

Gigi Pritzker is an American billionaire and film producer. She is a member of the Pritzker family.

John A. Pritzker is an American billionaire and investor. He is a member of the Pritzker family, and is 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Pritzker</span> American billionaire (born 1950)

Jennifer Natalya Pritzker 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 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."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Pritzker</span> American entrepreneur (born 1984)

Adam Pritzker is an American entrepreneur. He is the chairman and CEO of Assembled Brands, a holding company of fashion and lifestyle consumer brands, and was co-founder and chairman of General Assembly, a private school for professional development. In 2018, General Assembly was sold to The Adecco Group for over $400 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Haven Initiative</span> U.S. impact investment organization

Blue Haven Initiative (BHI) is an impact investment organization based in the United States and is one of the largest investment funds in the world dedicated solely to impact investing. Blue Haven's venture capital fund invests in early-stage, innovative businesses that improve standards of living, create economic opportunity and deliver products and services cleanly and efficiently to underserved communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

References

  1. 1 2 Worthy, Ford; Hutton, Cynthia (April 25, 1988). "The Pritzkers Unveiling A Private Family Can you believe it? These billionaires actually like each other. But as Pritzkers proliferate, a worry arises: Can they maintain their striking success – and keep everyone happy?". CNN Money. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 Carlyle, Erin (December 2, 2013). "Liesel Pritzker Simmons Sued Her Family And Got $500 Million, But She's No Trust Fund Baby". Forbes . Liesel's mother, Irene, who became Robert Pritzker's second wife after meeting him while working for a Hyatt hotel in Australia, filed for divorce in 1989 after nine years of marriage.
  3. ↑ Mackie, Drew (May 10, 2015). "Where's "Little Princess" Star Liesel Pritzker Simmons, Twenty Years Later". People.
  4. ↑ Ackman, Dan (December 11, 2002). "Liesel Pritzker, Meet Meadow Soprano". Forbes. Retrieved October 23, 2007.
  5. 1 2 Maremont, Mark (January 9, 2005). "How a little princess won back her inheritance". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved October 23, 2007.
  6. ↑ Andrews, Suzanna. "Shattered Dynasty". Vanity Fair. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Columbia Daily Spectator 7 February 2003 — Columbia Spectator". spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  8. ↑ David Brooks (December 13, 2002). "Little Princess Lost". The Daily Standard. Archived from the original on December 17, 2002. Retrieved October 23, 2007.
  9. ↑ Spencer, Ashley (February 19, 2020). "What Happened to 'A Little Princess' Star Liesel Matthews?". Vice. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Liesel Matthews - Other works". IMDb. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  11. ↑ Kroll, Lisa (October 24, 2007). "Billionaire Family Feuds". Forbes.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2007. Retrieved November 5, 2007.
  12. ↑ "Liesel Pritzker Donates $4 Million to Opportunity International To Help Expand Microfinance Services in Africa". Opportunity International. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  13. ↑ "About". idpfoundation.org. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Member of the Synergos Board of Directors: Liesel Pritzker Simmons". synergos.org. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Liesel Pritzker Simmons, Co-Founder & Principal - Blue Haven Initiative". Archived from the original on August 30, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Global Philanthropy Forum: LIESEL PRITZKER SIMMONS". www.philanthropyforum.org. Archived from the original on April 13, 2012.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.