Abram Nicholas Pritzker
Encyclopedia
Abram Nicholas Pritzker (January 6, 1896 – February 8, 1986), known professionally as A. N. Pritzker, was an American
businessman.
The son of Ukrainian
Jewish immigrants Annie P. (née Cohn) and Nicholas J. Pritzker, he graduated from Harvard Law School
and worked for a time in the family's firm, Pritzker & Pritzker, before beginning with his brother Jack a business career that would launch a family empire. They invested in real estate and small companies, mostly around Chicago
and amassed a considerable fortune. They shielded their earnings from taxes through a series of trusts, which enabled them to distribute the money as they chose. Pritzker's philanthropic endeavors include funding the Pritzker School of Medicine
at the University of Chicago
. He also set up a trust fund for the A.N. Pritzker Elementary School, which he had attended when it was called the Wicker Park Elementary School.
Pritzker's sons, Jay
, Robert
, and Donald, continued to grow the family business, eventually buying the Hyatt House hotel in Los Angeles
in 1957 and forming the cornerstone of their hotel chain. His son, Robert Pritzker
, created a conglomerate of a multitude of manufacturing companies, which grew into the multi billion dollar Marmon Group
, and was diversified to include manufacturing concerns ranging from lumber to railroad box cars, and travel industry staples. It composed half of the family's wealth. On December 25, 2007, it was announced that Warren Buffett, through Berkshire Hathaway
, would purchase 60% of the Marmon Group from the Pritzkers for $4.5 Billion. The Pritzkers also own Royal Caribbean
. TransUnion was a subsidiary of The Marmon Group until January 2005, but is now an independent, privately held company.
The Pritzker family also funds a charter school in the Hermosa Community of Chicago which is part of the noble network of charter schools. Pritzker College Prep is located on the west side of Chicago.
One of his granddaughters is the actress Liesel Pritzker.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman.
The son of Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
Jewish immigrants Annie P. (née Cohn) and Nicholas J. Pritzker, he graduated from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
and worked for a time in the family's firm, Pritzker & Pritzker, before beginning with his brother Jack a business career that would launch a family empire. They invested in real estate and small companies, mostly around Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and amassed a considerable fortune. They shielded their earnings from taxes through a series of trusts, which enabled them to distribute the money as they chose. Pritzker's philanthropic endeavors include funding the Pritzker School of Medicine
Pritzker School of Medicine
The Pritzker School of Medicine is the M.D. granting unit of the Biological Sciences Division of the University of Chicago. It is located on the University's main campus in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, and matriculated its first class in 1927...
at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He also set up a trust fund for the A.N. Pritzker Elementary School, which he had attended when it was called the Wicker Park Elementary School.
Pritzker's sons, Jay
Jay Pritzker
Jay Arthur Pritzker was an American entrepreneur and conglomerate organizer.-Biography:Pritzker was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Fanny and A. N. Pritzker. His brother was Robert Pritzker...
, Robert
Robert Pritzker
Robert Alan Pritzker was a member of the wealthy Pritzker family.-Biography:His parents were Fanny and A. N. Pritzker, and his brothers were Jay and Donald. Robert Pritzker received a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1946 and an honorary...
, and Donald, continued to grow the family business, eventually buying the Hyatt House hotel in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1957 and forming the cornerstone of their hotel chain. His son, Robert Pritzker
Robert Pritzker
Robert Alan Pritzker was a member of the wealthy Pritzker family.-Biography:His parents were Fanny and A. N. Pritzker, and his brothers were Jay and Donald. Robert Pritzker received a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1946 and an honorary...
, created a conglomerate of a multitude of manufacturing companies, which grew into the multi billion dollar Marmon Group
Marmon Group
Marmon Group is a United States holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.Marmon Group owns companies that produce electrical components, industrial components and transportation equipment, and provide services including construction and retail solutions.- History :In 1953 Jay Pritzker and...
, and was diversified to include manufacturing concerns ranging from lumber to railroad box cars, and travel industry staples. It composed half of the family's wealth. On December 25, 2007, it was announced that Warren Buffett, through Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies. The company averaged an annual growth in book value of 20.3% to its shareholders for the last 44 years,...
, would purchase 60% of the Marmon Group from the Pritzkers for $4.5 Billion. The Pritzkers also own Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 42 ships in service under 5 different brands and one more under construction, it controls a 25.6% share of the world cruise market...
. TransUnion was a subsidiary of The Marmon Group until January 2005, but is now an independent, privately held company.
The Pritzker family also funds a charter school in the Hermosa Community of Chicago which is part of the noble network of charter schools. Pritzker College Prep is located on the west side of Chicago.
One of his granddaughters is the actress Liesel Pritzker.