Age, Biography, and Wiki
JB Pritzker was born on January 19, 1965, in Palo Alto, California. He is a member of the Pritzker family, known for their ownership of the Hyatt hotel chain and other significant investments. Pritzker is a renowned businessman and politician, having started several venture capital and investment firms, including the Pritzker Group, where he serves as a managing partner. His biography is well-documented on his Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JB_Pritzker.
| Occupation | Billionaire |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 19 January 1965 |
| Age | 60 Years |
| Birth Place | Palo Alto, California, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Capricorn |
| Country | U.S |
Height, Weight & Measurements
There is limited publicly available information regarding JB Pritzker's height, weight, or other physical measurements.
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Dating & Relationship Status
JB Pritzker is married to Mary "MK" Pritzker. The couple is known for their philanthropic efforts and involvement in various societal causes.
In 2007, Pritzker and his wife donated $5 million to the University of South Dakota to build the Theodore R. and Karen K. Muenster University Center in honor of his wife's parents. In 2011, Milton Academy dedicated the Pritzker Science Center for which Pritzker provided the lead gift. Pritzker is a trustee and serves on the investment committee of Northwestern University. He is a member of the Board of Governors of Northwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and the Commercial Club of Chicago. He joined the Duke University Board of Trustees in 2017; his term expires in 2023.
On October 22, 2015, Northwestern University School of Law announced that Pritzker and his wife, M. K. Pritzker, had made a $100 million gift to the school in honor of Pritzker's great-grandfather, Nicholas J. Pritzker. The 156-year-old school was renamed the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
In 1993, Pritzker married Mary Kathryn "M. K." Muenster, whom he had met in Washington, D.C., when she worked as an aide to U.S. Senator Tom Daschle. She is one of three children of Theodore and Karen Muenster. Her father unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 1990. They live in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood with their two children. They also reside in the Illinois Governor's Mansion in Springfield.
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Net Worth and Salary
As of May 2025, JB Pritzker's net worth is estimated at $3.7 billion by Forbes. His primary sources of income include his family's wealth, especially from the Hyatt hotel chain, and his own business ventures, such as the Pritzker Group. He is one of the wealthiest individuals holding public office in the United States.
Before entering politics, Pritzker was a longtime financial supporter and active member of the Democratic Party. He won the crowded Democratic primary for governor of Illinois in the 2018 gubernatorial election. He defeated Republican incumbent Bruce Rauner in the general election on November 6, and took office on January 14, 2019. During his governorship, Pritzker has focused on fiscal policy, education, healthcare, and criminal justice reform. He has legalized recreational cannabis, expanded abortion access, and managed the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois. Pritzker was reelected in 2022, defeating Darren Bailey. As of May 2025, his estimated net worth is $3.7 billion, according to Forbes.
Pritzker was inaugurated as Illinois's 43rd governor on January 14, 2019. With an estimated net worth of $3.6 billion in January 2019, he became the richest politician in the U.S. His second term in office began on January 9, 2023.
On June 5, 2019, Pritzker signed a bipartisan $40 billion balanced budget for the 2019–20 fiscal year. The budget included $29 million in additional funding for efforts to encourage participation in the U.S. Census. Public spending increases were paid for by tax increases. A separate bill Pritzker signed imposed sales taxes on online retailers, a tax on insurance companies, and decoupled the Illinois state income tax from a federal tax cut for companies that bring their foreign profits to the U.S. The budget neglected any potential revenue that might be collected from the legalization of recreational marijuana. In addition, people who owed taxes from between June 30, 2011, and July 1, 2018, were able to take advantage of a "tax amnesty" program that allowed them to pay without penalty. The governor's office had expected a $150 million surplus, which it planned to use to pay down the state's $6 billion backlog of unpaid bills.
On May 31, 2019, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act legalizing and regulating the production, consumption, and sale of adult-use cannabis. On June 25, 2019, Pritzker signed the legislation into law, which went into effect on January 1, 2020. Illinois was the 11th U.S. state to legalize recreational use of cannabis. Criminal records of people caught possessing less than 30 grams were cleared. Tax revenue collected from cannabis sales is used to invest in impoverished communities affected by the War on Drugs and in drug rehabilitation programs. After the first month of legalization, cannabis sales generated approximately $10.4 million in tax revenue. Cannabis sales generated over $52 million by July 2020 and $445.3 million by the end of 2022.
In the balanced budget for the 2019–20 fiscal year, worth $40 billion, the State of Illinois authorized more spending on education, including grade schools, community colleges, and state universities. Funding for grade schools rose by nearly $379 million, more than the $29 million required by the new state funding for education formula passed the previous year. Funding for community colleges increased by $14 million, for public universities by $53 million. Grants for low-income students received a $50 million bump. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, facing financial pressure, received $80 million for hiring new staff and improving services.
In July 2019, Pritzker signed House Bill 2512. Approved unanimously by both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly, it requires state universities to report what students pay in tuition fees to the Illinois Board of Higher Education. This is intended to increase transparency in the costs of higher education.
To help pay for his 2019 capital spending bill, Pritzker expanded gambling, allowing more casinos and legalized sports betting. This did not mean new casinos could be built and sports betting could begin right away: granting licenses for such activities is the job of the Illinois Gaming Board, and the process is a complex one, lasting several months or more and involving extensive criminal background checks, among other requirements. According to the governor's office, gambling will bring an additional $350 million in revenue each year. This gambling expansion bill extends to Chicago, something the city wanted. Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot emphasized economic development in the city's South and West sides during her campaign. She has argued that a new casino, privately owned, and associated hospitality and entertainment venues will bring money into the city.
In late June 2019, Pritzker signed the bipartisan capital bill named Rebuild Illinois, worth $45 billion to be spent in six years and estimated to create 540,000 jobs. It was the first capital spending bill in Illinois in 10 years. The plan includes $33.2 billion for transportation projects, including $25 billion for road upgrades, with local governments deciding which roads they want to prioritize, $3.5 billion for public and private schools and universities, $1 billion for environmental protection, $420 million for expanding broadband Internet service to rural Illinois, $465 million for health care and human services facilities, and $1.8 billion for libraries, museums, and minority-owned businesses. Financing for this plan will come from multiple sources. The gas tax was set to match inflation since the last gas tax increase in 1990, increasing from 19 cents per gallon to 38 cents; the special fuel tax on diesel, liquefied natural gas, and propane increased to 7.5 cents per gallon. Fuel taxes will be indexed to inflation. Vehicle registration fees increased by $50. The state's bonding authority will increase from $22.6 billion to $60.8 billion. Newly authorized casinos are expected to create thousands of jobs and deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue for construction projects. Cook County municipalities may raise their own gas taxes by up to three cents per gallon, though Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she opposed raising the gas tax in her city and increasing Chicago Transit Authority fares. The capital bill also stipulates the creation of an apprenticeship program in the construction industry to provide part of the labor force necessary.
On February 19, 2019, Pritzker signed into law a bill that raises the state minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025, making Illinois the fifth state in the nation and first state in the Midwest to do so. The bill includes a tax credit for small businesses to help them deal with higher costs of labor and maintains the ability of restaurant owners to count tips toward pay.
Pritzker signed House Bill 2028, which passed both the Senate and House of Illinois unanimously. This bill doubles the compensation rate for families of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty from $10,000 to $20,000.
On the same day as the 2019–20 state budget, Pritzker signed the "Fair Tax" law, which offered a constitutional amendment to voters in the November 2020 election to replace Illinois's flat tax with graduated rates. He promised that income taxes would not increase for Illinoisans who make $250,000 a year or less, who are 97% of the state's wage earners. Pritzker and his supporters said changing income tax laws was the first step toward comprehensive state tax reform. The proposed graduated income tax rates were:
According to the governor's office, under this proposal, families and couples would see tax cuts across the board. For example, a family of four making $61,000 a year would pay $41 less in income tax before any other tax exemptions or deductions. Moreover, there would be a tax credit of up to $100 per child for individuals making less than $80,000 and joint filers earning under $100,000. The corporate tax rate would rise from 7% to 7.95%, equal to the highest personal rate. In addition, Pritzker wanted to increase the property tax credit to 6% from 5%.
Pritzker claimed that his income tax proposal would bring $3.4 billion in tax revenue. As of 2019, Illinois had $8.5 billion of unpaid bills and $134 billion of pension liabilities.
As a candidate for governor, Pritzker campaigned on raising the minimum wage in Illinois to $15 an hour. He enacted a plan to do so, raising the minimum wage to $9.25 an hour on January 1, 2020, and then to $10 an hour on July 1 of that year. The minimum wage has risen by $1 per hour each year on January 1. It was $15 as of January 1, 2025.
Pritzker has gained support from progressives and socialists for his stances on healthcare, education, raising the minimum wage, legalizing recreational marijuana, and expanding access to healthcare. His administration has been considered one of the most progressive in the United States.
Career, Business, and Investments
JB Pritzker has been actively involved in both politics and business:
- Politics: He was elected as the Governor of Illinois in 2018 and reelected in 2022. During his tenure, he has focused on fiscal policy, education, healthcare, and criminal justice reform.
- Business Ventures: Pritzker co-founded the Pritzker Group Private Capital and was involved in starting the 1871 digital startup incubator in Chicago. He has also been a longtime supporter of the Democratic Party.
- Investments: His business ventures include investments in private equity and startups, contributing significantly to his wealth.
Jay Robert Pritzker (born January 19, 1965) is an American businessman and politician serving since 2019 as the 43rd governor of Illinois. A member of the wealthy Pritzker family that owns the Hyatt hotel chain, Pritzker has started several venture capital and investment startups, including the Pritzker Group, where he is managing partner.
Born in Palo Alto, California, Pritzker graduated from Milton Academy, Duke University, and Northwestern University School of Law. He co-founded Pritzker Group Private Capital and was involved in several other business ventures, including 1871, a digital startup incubator. In 1998, he ran to represent Illinois's 9th congressional district, but lost in the Democratic primary. He chaired the Illinois Human Rights Commission from 2003 to 2006 under Governor Rod Blagojevich.
He is the son of Donald Pritzker and Sue Pritzker (née Sandel). A member of the Pritzker family, a Jewish family of Ukrainian descent prominent in business and philanthropy during the late 20th century, Pritzker is named after both of his paternal uncles, Jay Pritzker and Robert Pritzker, and called "JB" for "Jay Bob". Pritzker's grandfather Abe Pritzker was a business lawyer. The Pritzkers have consistently been near the top of the Forbes "America's Richest Families" list since its 1982 inception. Donald Pritzker was the president of Hyatt Hotels; he died in 1972 of a heart attack at age 39. Sue Pritzker died in an accident at age 49 in 1982. Pritzker's older siblings are Anthony Pritzker and former United States Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.
Pritzker served as chairman of ChicagoNEXT, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's council on innovation and technology, and he founded 1871, a nonprofit digital start-up incubator (named for the year of the Great Chicago Fire). He was involved in the creation of the Illinois Venture Capital Association and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center. He also co-founded Chicago Ventures and funded the start-up of Techstars Chicago and Built in Chicago.
With his brother Tony, Pritzker co-founded Pritzker Group Private Capital, which owns and operates middle-market companies. The group includes a number of companies, including pallet rental leader PECO Pallet and medical device maker Clinical Innovations. Pritzker received the Entrepreneurial Champion Award from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce in 2008 for his efforts to promote economic development and job creation.
In the 1980s, Pritzker served on the legislative staffs of U.S. Representative Tom Lantos, U.S. Senator Terry Sanford, and U.S. Senator Alan J. Dixon, making trade and transportation issues a top priority. After his career in Washington D.C., Pritzker founded Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century, a national organization dedicated to attracting voters under 40 to the Democratic Party.
Governor Rod Blagojevich appointed Pritzker to chair the Illinois Human Rights Commission. He held that position from 2003 to 2006. After he left the chairmanship, Blagojevich appointed former White House counsel and federal judge Abner J. Mikva to succeed him.
On August 10, 2017, Pritzker announced that his running mate would be freshman State Representative and fellow Chicago resident Juliana Stratton. By December 2017, Pritzker had spent $42million of his own money on his campaign without receiving funding from any other source. On March 20, 2018, he won the Democratic primary by a large margin, receiving 45.13% of the vote and defeating five opponents. On November 6, 2018, Pritzker defeated incumbent Republican governor Bruce Rauner in the general election, receiving 54.53% of the vote to Rauner's 38.83%. Pritzker was well ahead of Rauner in most polls from the summer of 2018 onward, and won by the largest margin in a gubernatorial race since 1994.
On top of that, the Rebuild Illinois capital plan spent some $3.2 billion for public colleges and universities over six years. $78 million of that money was allocated to emergency repairs and delayed maintenance. For years, public institutions of higher learning in Illinois had struggled financially and lobbied for increased funding without much success. Budget cuts and ballooning costs had driven Illinois residents out of state. Tuition fees, room and board had doubled in virtually every state college or university since the 2003–04 academic year. According to the Illinois Board of Higher Education, in 2017, 48.4% of Illinois public high school graduates went on to attend out-of-state institutions. That number was 46.6% in 2016, and 29.3% in 2002. Moreover, data show that Illinoisans chose not just colleges and universities from nearby states such as Iowa and Indiana, but also as far away as Alabama and Utah, lured by financial aid and scholarship packages.
Below is a sample of state colleges and universities in line for additional funding. In addition, community colleges statewide received $1.03 billion while private colleges and universities got $400 million for capital projects. AIM High, a merit-based scholarship program for Illinoisans, saw its funding rise to $35 million, up $10 million.
Pritzker signed into law Senate Bill 1890, whose goal is to crack down on human trafficking. It requires hospitality business owners to train their employees to recognize victims of trafficking and to teach them the protocols of reporting to authorities. It also establishes penalties for human trafficking, including a fine of up to $100,000 and a Class 1 Felony charge.
On January 17, 2019, Pritzker signed a bill requiring state certification for gun dealers, which passed during the tenure of his predecessor, Bruce Rauner. It also requires gun dealers to ensure the physical security of their stores, to keep a detailed list of items on sale, and employees of such stores to undergo annual training. These requirements come on top of the mandatory federal license issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Proponents say Senate Bill 337 prevents guns from falling "into the wrong hands" while opponents argue it creates additional bureaucracy, imposes a financial burden on gun business owners, and will neither enhance public safety nor reduce crime. The Illinois State Rifle Association argued that the bill violates the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution because it interferes with the right to bear arms, and filed a lawsuit alongside eight gun dealers.
In July 2019, Pritzker signed House Bill 3343, creating a food program for the elderly, the disabled, and the homeless. Such individuals may collect their benefits from a private business that has a contract with the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to provide meals with discounts. This is the state implementation of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The IDHS was to initiate this program no later than January 1, 2020.
On January 23, 2019, Pritzker committed Illinois to the U.S. Climate Alliance, which aims to reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions by over 26% by 2025. In 2017, it was revealed that both Pritzker and his 2018 gubernatorial primary opponent Christopher G. Kennedy had stock holdings in ExxonMobil, Chevron Corporation, Occidental Petroleum, and ConocoPhillips, raising questions about whether either of them had genuine commitments to reducing climate change.
Pritzker supports Syrian refugees, and criticized the first Trump administration and Rauner for "turning a blind eye on them". He also supports enhancing funding for immigrant and refugee services, increasing health care options for undocumented immigrants, improving the U-Visa certification process for victims of violent crimes, and providing access to financial aid for undocumented students such as DACA recipients. He has said he would sign the "Illinois Trust Act", a pro-immigration bill.
As chairman of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, which opened in 2009, Pritzker led the capital campaign and planning to build an international institution in the Midwest dedicated to teaching the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides. He is the principal funder of Cambodia Tribunal Monitor, the most significant online source for news and commentaries on the international criminal tribunal created to bring to justice the perpetrators of Pol Pot-era acts of genocide. He chaired the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and was succeeded by former White House counsel and federal judge Abner J. Mikva. In 2013, Pritzker received the Survivors' Legacy Award for his leadership in the creation of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.
Social Network
JB Pritzker maintains a public presence, particularly through his role as Governor of Illinois. However, detailed information about his personal social media profiles is not widely available.
In May 2017, the Chicago Tribune published an 11-minute FBI wiretap of Pritzker and Blagojevich in 2008 discussing campaign contributions and options for Pritzker to be appointed to statewide office. At the time, Pritzker was described as a "businessman with political ambitions". On the tapes, Blagojevich asked Pritzker if he would like to be appointed state treasurer, to which Pritzker, who has a background in finance, responded, "Yeah, that's the one I would want." Pritzker's general election opponent Governor Bruce Rauner and Pritzker's Democratic primary opponents took issue with his conduct. Pritzker responded to the allegations: "I've not been accused of any wrongdoing. I have not done anything wrong." Law enforcement made no allegations of wrongdoing against Pritzker, and he has said: "over decades of my life, I have been doing public service, and the opportunity to continue to do public service as treasurer of the state was something that had been brought up, and so there was a conversation about that." Pritzker later apologized for a number of controversial and incendiary comments he made in that conversation. He and Blagojevich discussed filling Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat, with Pritzker saying that appointing then-Secretary of State Jesse White would "cover you on the African-American thing" and that he was the "least offensive" candidate. After the tape was released, White continued to support Pritzker in his 2018 gubernatorial campaign and accepted his apology, saying he knew "where his heart is" and "I consider him a very good friend".
In June 2021, it was reported that Pritzker was considering retiring after one term in office. But on July 19, he confirmed on Twitter that he would run for reelection, with Stratton again as his running mate. He won the June 28 Democratic primary and defeated Republican nominee Darren Bailey in the November 8 general election, 54.91% to 42.37%. He is the first Illinois governor to have been elected to a second term since 2006, when Rod Blagojevich was reelected. If Pritzker serves two full terms, he will be the first governor to do so since Jim Edgar and the first Democratic governor in Illinois history to do so, as every other Democratic governor was impeached, died, or resigned before finishing a second term.
Pritzker erased the drug conviction of an Army veteran in August 2019. Miguel Perez Jr. suffered a brain injury while serving in Afghanistan and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He was deported to Mexico in 2018 after spending seven years in prison. He had pleaded guilty to a drug crime and held a green card as a permanent U.S. resident. Perez's supporters hope the pardon will help him return to the U.S.
On X (formerly Twitter), there are numerous accounts such as "Socialists for Pritzker", "Nomadic Warriors for Pritzker", "Frat Bros for Pritzker", and "Anarchists for Pritzker". The Socialists for Pritzker account has over 13,000 followers. The accounts have been described as semi-ironic. Pritzker has said the attention is "entertaining, if a little strange" and that he keeps up with several of the accounts. Nomadic Warriors for Pritzker has dubbed Pritzker the "Great Khan of the Midwest" and mapped out battle plans for a Mongol Empire-inspired military campaign across the nation. The group of accounts, dubbed the "Pritzker Pals," launched a website, coconut bigboy.com, with the goal of influencing Vice President Kamala Harris to pick Pritzker as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
A TikTok account called "Pritzker Memes" garnered 20,000 followers. Some of the memes are about Pritzker's size, with one political commentator saying, "He is enormous, doesn't come off as particularly intellectual, and has good instincts".
On February 7, 2025, Pritzker posted a satirical video to his personal twitter account announcing Illinois's annexation of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the renaming of Lake Michigan to "Lake Illinois". The video followed President Donald Trump's announcement that the Gulf of Mexico had been renamed the "Gulf of America."
Education
JB Pritzker is well-educated, having attended:
- Milton Academy: He completed his secondary education here.
- Duke University: He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree.
- Northwestern University School of Law: He obtained his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.
Pritzker was raised in Atherton, California. He attended Milton Academy, a boarding school in Milton, Massachusetts, and graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. In 1993, he earned his Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law. He is an attorney and a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association.
Pritzker created the College Student Credit Card Marketing and Debt Task Force (House Bill 1581), whose task it is to look for ways to help students reduce their credit card debts after graduation from an institution of higher education in the state. The task force was to report its findings to the General Assembly by December 4, 2019.
On August 26, 2021, Pritzker announced that a statewide indoor mask mandate would be reimposed to handle the surge caused by the Delta variant beginning on August 30. He also announced a vaccine mandate for all education employees in P-12 and higher education statewide and for all higher education students and healthcare workers. Pritzker announced that anyone who did not get a COVID-19 vaccine by September 5 would have to do weekly COVID testing.
On May 25, 2022, in response to Texas governor Greg Abbott's comments in the aftermath of the Robb Elementary School shooting that Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City crime proves harsher gun laws are not a solution, Pritzker said that a "majority of guns used in Chicago shootings come from states with lax gun laws". Other city and state officials, including Mayor Lightfoot and Attorney General Kwame Raoul, also criticized Abbott's comments. UIC professor of political science Alexandra Filindra, described as an expert on gun policy, said preventing gun violence must be done on the federal level, that gun rights can coexist with restrictive laws, and that acquisition of weapons in general became easier after the 2008 U.S. Supreme Court decision District of Columbia v. Heller.
On January 24, 2019, Pritzker signed an executive order expanding access to Illinois welcome centers for immigrants and refugees. Welcome centers help guide immigrants on a path to citizenship and refugees with access to health care, education, jobs, and legal services.
On June 21, 2019, Pritzker signed a bill banning the operation of private immigration detention centers in Illinois. Another bill forbids state and local police to cooperate with U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) to deport illegal immigrants. College students who are undocumented immigrants or identify as transgender may apply for state financial aid for college. (Federal aid requires proof of citizenship and those who were assigned male at birth to register for the draft.)
In June 2019, Pritzker signed an executive order requiring schools across the state to be "affirming and inclusive" of transgender and non-binary students. He also asked the State Board of Education to take a lead on LGBT rights by making relevant resources easily accessible.
Pritzker supports net neutrality, and wrote on his gubernatorial campaign website: "As governor, I will ensure that all internet traffic is treated equally, so that everyone can continue to use the internet to grow their businesses, further their education, and enjoy the freedom of expression."
Through the Pritzker Family Foundation, Pritzker has funded research and programs focused on children in poverty. Under the leadership of economist James Heckman, he supported the creation of the Pritzker Consortium on Early Childhood Development at the University of Chicago. With the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, the Irving Harris Foundation, and the George Kaiser Family Foundation, the Pritzker Family Foundation is a founding supporter of the First Five Years Fund, an organization focusing nationwide attention and resources on comprehensive, quality early care and learning programs for children from birth to age five. In 2013, Pritzker worked with Goldman Sachs to fund the first-ever social impact bond for early childhood education.
