JB Pritzker

Jay Robert "JB" Pritzker (born January 19, 1965) is an American politician, lawyer and businessman serving since 2019 as the 43rd governor of Illinois.

Born in Palo Alto, California, Pritzker graduated from Milton Academy, Duke University, and Northwestern University School of Law. A member of the wealthy Pritzker family that owns the Hyatt hotel chain, Pritzker has helped to create several venture capital and investment startups, including Pritzker Group Private Capital, where he serves as managing partner. He also co-founded Chicago Ventures and funded the startups Techstars Chicago and Built in Chicago. According to Forbes, as of August 2025, his estimated net worth is $3.9 billion.

Before entering electoral politics, Pritzker was a longtime active member and financial supporter of the Democratic Party. In 1998, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois's 9th congressional district, losing in the Democratic primary. He chaired the Illinois Human Rights Commission from 2003 to 2006 under Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Pritzker won a crowded Democratic primary for governor of Illinois in the 2018 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.

Pritzker was born in Palo Alto, California, on January 19, 1965. He is the son of Donald Pritzker and Sue Pritzker (née Sandel). Pritzker is named after his paternal uncles, Jay Pritzker and Robert Pritzker, and is known by his initials ("JB" for "Jay Bob"). Pritzker's grandfather, Abe Pritzker, was a business lawyer. Pritzker is a member of the Pritzker family, a Jewish family of Ukrainian descent that was prominent in business and philanthropy during the late 20th century. The Pritzkers have consistently ranked near the top of the Forbes "America's Richest Families" list since its inception in 1982.

Pritzker's father, Donald Pritzker, was the president of Hyatt Hotels; he died of a heart attack at age 39 in 1972. After his father died and his mother became ill, Pritzker moved in with his aunt, Cindy Pritzker, at age 12. Pritzker's mother, 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 has said that certain overseas trusts for which he was the designated beneficiary were set up by his grandfather and are used only for charitable contributions, yielding no personal benefit to him.

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.