Until recently, the most controversial members of Chicago's ultra-rich and powerful Pritzker family were billionaire Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a longtime Democratic activist and advocate of bail reform. , Jennifer, the transgender cousin of a billionaire who funnels millions of dollars into universities and medical schools. A gender clinic and non-profit organization that supports “gender-affirming” medical care.
But they were overshadowed this week by families caught up in two of the biggest news stories of the moment.
The governor's sister, Penny, 64, is at the center of Harvard University President Claudine Gay's resignation on Tuesday, citing multiple counts of plagiarism. Penny has been a senior research fellow at Harvard University since February 2022. Harvard University, the board of trustees that recruits, hires, and protects gay people, in light of her scandal, which included downplaying anti-Semitism at the school.
Meanwhile, his cousin Thomas Pritzker is named in newly unsealed documents related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Virginia Giuffre claims she was trafficked overseas to have sex with a 73-year-old man who is now the chairman of Hyatt Hotels and CEO of the Pritzker organization.
The Pritzker family was ranked the 9th richest family in the United States in 2020. They owe their wealth to Jay Pritzker (Thomas' father), who enrolled at the University of Chicago at the age of 14, graduated from law school, and founded the Hyatt hotel chain, which is now a multi-hotel chain. . -In 1957, at the age of 35, he joined a national conglomerate.
Penny's father Donald helped grow Hyatt, and her brother Robert (Jennifer's father) founded the international Marmon Group for autonomous manufacturing. All three are the grandchildren of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants.
Billionaire Penny Pritzker, who donated $100 million to Harvard University and is an alumnus, remains staunchly pro-gay despite heavy criticism for her statement to Congress last month that addressed anti-Semitism. He has been criticized for doing so. What was it that was raising questions about plagiarism?
“Penny Pritzker, chair of the board, contributed significantly to societal harm, including by leading the campaign to keep Claudine Gay, orchestrating strategies to intimidate the media, and bypassing the process to assess plagiarism.” He should resign along with the rest of the board. He is done,” Bill Ackman, billionaire former Harvard graduate and donor, wrote in X this week.
Penney led the search committee that selected Gay to replace Lawrence Bacow when he stepped down as president last June.
Despite calls for his resignation from prominent donors and alumni, Harvard University said of Penny, who served as Secretary of Commerce in the Obama administration: won't resign From her position at Harvard University, which is similar to the Board of Trustees.
“Penny is an old friend, and half of the board members are old friends. And they're not incompetent, they have good character, but the process has completely failed,” said Associate Professor of Leadership Studies at Yale University. Director Jeff Sonnenfeld says: management told the Post.
“They were tone-deaf, arrogant, dismissive and inelegant, if not downright deceitful.”
Mr. Sonnenfeld said that if Mr. Penny and other board members “continue to remain silent,” Mr. Penny should resign from Harvard.
“Penny should stand up and say what went wrong,” Sonnenfeld said. “If they can't explain what they've done, a lot of people on the board should resign. If this were Enron or any other disaster, people would be very critical if the board didn't speak up.” right.”
Penny may have been a victim of her own “consensus-building” tendencies, he says. It was a lot of bad groupthink and it was hard to beat. ”
The Post has not been able to contact Penny.
Meanwhile, her cousin is also feeling the fever.
Jeffrey Epstein victim Giuffre, who settled with Prince Andrew for an estimated $12 million over sexual assault allegations, claimed she had sexual contact with Thomas Pritzker, newly released courtroom says. This was revealed in the records.
Giuffre's allegations against Pritzker first came to light in 2019. The Miami Herald reported at the time that Giuffre said he was sent overseas to “have sex with the owner of a major hotel chain.” Mr. Pritzker's name was included in a footnote, but it was not clear at the time that he was a hotel mogul.
Under oath, Giuffre told Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyer that she believed she had “been with Tom once,” referring to their sexual relationship. She did not suggest that Maxwell had instructed her to have sex with the hotelier.
Later in the same deposition, Giuffre spoke about Maxwell allegedly sending her to have sex with “the owner of a major hotel chain” in France, but did not name the person. Ta.
A spokesperson for Mr. Pritzker said the married businessman “continues to vehemently deny” the charges.
sarah marshall perryThe Pritzker family is rapidly becoming “radioactive” and has a history of scandal, said the lawyer and senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
Among many other cases, Penney once served on the board of Superior Bank, which the Pritzker family bought with $460 million in federal tax credits.
Bank then it collapsed After becoming one of the first to transact subprime loans.
Governor JB Pritzker In 2018, I was having a rough time. He and his wife Mary bought a holiday home next door to their Gold Coast mansion, and when it was discovered that they had left it in disrepair, including demolishing five toilets, the house was classified as 'uninhabitable'. — and they would see a significant reduction in their property taxes.
Anthony Pritzker, brother of JB and Penny, runs the private equity firm Pritzker Group, and was the subject of a minor scandal when he and his wife bought and demolished the landmark Beverly. Hills returns home and annoys his neighbors. built a huge mega-mansion Instead.
It is the second largest private residence in the city of Los Angeles.
“This is a far-left leaning political family, fully funded by the Hyatt hotel empire, who claim to want to fight so-called right-wing extremism, when in fact they are extremists themselves. “There are,” Perry told the Post.
“In order to hire Claudine Gay and keep her in her position, Penny…is someone who champions this new kind of anti-racism, including those who encourage other individuals who push this colonialist narrative. was hired there.
“It is ironic that the Pritzker family, with its family history, refuses to acknowledge the hard work and accomplishments that have made our country great, and instead promotes individuals who point to colonialism, white supremacy, and white nationalism.” Perry added. “They are undermining academic integrity and the integrity of the Governor's Office.”
Penny's longtime friend, Palm Beach socialite and author Sugar Routbord, worked hard for her friend and Thomas Pritzker, whom she had known since childhood.
“I have a problem with Claudine Gay, who I think is horrible, but I don't have a problem with Penny. I don't think Penny will resign,” Routbord told the Post.
“I think she believes in the philosophy of wokeness that appeals to a lot of people in Chicago.” [and] that's the only way [Barack] Obama may have been from Chicago.
“Penny is a phenomenal woman, happily married, a really good mother and a very passionate philanthropist, both spiritually and financially.”
Rautboord described Thomas Pritzker, who has three sons, as “Jay's oldest and favorite son,” but he said seeing his name in the Epstein headlines was a big deal for Thomas Pritzker. I don't think I'll let you down.
“Tom and Penny live a very difficult life and I don't think it matters to them what other people think,” Ms Routbord said. “They come from families where excellence is expected, but I don’t think this situation will have a long-term effect on them.”
