Penny Pritzker Explained
Penny Sue Pritzker (born May 2, 1959) 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.[1] She was confirmed by a Senate vote of 97–1.
Pritzker is a member of the prominent Pritzker family and was involved with the family business empire from a young age. She was eventually appointed as one of three successors to her uncle, Jay Pritzker. She is the founder of PSP Partners, PSP Capital Partners, and Pritzker Realty Group, and co-founder of Artemis Real Estate Partners and Inspired Capital. She is on the board of Microsoft and chair of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. As of October 2021, Forbes estimated her net worth at US$3.2 billion.[2] In 2009, Forbes named Pritzker one of the 100 most powerful women in the world. She is the sister of J. B. Pritzker, the current governor of Illinois.
Before entering government service, Pritzker had been involved in many Chicago organizations, including the Chicago Board of Education, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, as well as her own foundation, the Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation. A friend of the Obama family since their Chicago years, Pritzker was an early supporter of Obama's presidential candidacy.
From 2021 to 2022, she was a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).[3] From September 2023 to August 2024, she was the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery.[4]
Early life and education
Pritzker was born in Chicago in 1959, the daughter of Sue (née Sandel)[5] and Donald Pritzker. She is a member of the Pritzker family of Chicago, a wealthy and influential Jewish business family.[6] Donald Pritzker was one of the co-founders of Hyatt Hotels. He moved the family to Atherton, California, where business for the Hyatt Hotels began to grow.[7] Pritzker has two younger brothers, Tony (1961) and J. B. Pritzker (1965), the incumbent Governor of Illinois.
As a child, Pritzker would accompany her father to the hotels and check the cleanness of the ladies restrooms. In 1972, Pritzker's father died suddenly of a heart attack and her mother began battling depression. Pritzker had to act as a caregiver at times for her mother and younger brothers. At age 16, Pritzker wrote a letter to her grandfather, head of the family business empire, A.N. Pritzker, asking why he talked business with the men in the family and not with her.[8] Realizing Pritzker's interest in business, her grandfather provided her with a summer course in accounting.
Pritzker attended Castilleja School until 1977.[9] [10] She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard College in 1981.[11] Pritzker returned to school, earning both a Juris Doctor and an MBA from Stanford University in 1985.
Pritzker family businesses
Early ventures
After earning her degrees, Pritzker joined the Pritzker organization encouraged by her cousin Nick Pritzker.[12] In 1987, she founded Classic Residence by Hyatt, later renamed Vi, upscale housing for seniors as an alternative to nursing homes. The project struggled at first, losing $40million in the first 18months, but turned around after changes in marketing and management. In 1991, Prtizker's uncle, Jay Pritzker, who lead the Pritzker family businesses, named Pritzker as the director of the family's' non-hotel landholdings. With that appointment, Pritzker created the Pritzker Realty Group, which developed apartment buildings, shopping centers, and the Baldwin Park neighborhood in Orlando, Florida.[13]
Superior Bank
From 1991 to 1994, Pritzker was chairperson of the Hinsdale, Illinois-based Superior Bank of Chicago, in which Jay Pritzker had purchased a 50% stake from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, who had taken over the bank when it failed. In 1993, the bank "embarked on a business strategy of significant growth into subprime home mortgages", according to a report by the United States Treasury Department.[14] In 2000, it became clear the bank was faltering. In the months leading up to 2001, the Pritzkers tried to work out a recapitalization plan. In July 2001, the FDIC seized the bank after the recapitalization could not be resolved.[15] [16] [17] Subsequently, the Pritzker family reached an agreement with regulators to pay $460million.[18] [19] [20]
According to the FDIC, by 2011, the uninsured depositors of Superior had each received 81% of their uninsured monies, in addition to the $100,000 each previously received of their insured amount.[21] Industry experts have criticized the Pritzkers in regard to Superior.[22] Consumer advocates and government investigators asserted Superior "engaged in unsound financial activities and predatory lending practices".[14] Responding to The Wall Street Journal, Pritzker noted she had no ownership in the bank, either direct or indirect, and that the bank's reasons for failure "were complex, including changes in accounting practices, auditing failures, reversals in regulatory positions and general economic conditions".[14] She said the bank complied with "fair lending laws" and ethical business practices.[14] A 2001 Business Week article described the bank's other owner, Alvin Dworman, as the more dominant partner in its operation as a result of agreements made by Jay Pritzker.[15] Quoted in The New York Times, a Pritzker family friend observed Pritzker was trapped in a deal of her uncle's making: "Penny got sucked into this…this was really the legacy of Jay."[16]
Leadership and dissolution
In 1995, Pritzker was named as one of three successors to the retiring Jay Pritzker besides his son Tom and his cousin Nick. Tom was named the official head of the businesses, Pritzker and Nick were each named vice-chairman.[23] Together, the three were to oversee the family assets. Jay intended to keep the family business together, devising a system of trusts that would allow individual family members to receive money from the trusts to meet their needs; however, the family's wealth was to be primarily maintained in the trusts to grow the businesses and fund philanthropic endeavors. The Pritzker business empire contained over 200 businesses and was valued at $15billion.
After Jay Pritzker's death in 1999, other family members challenged Tom, Nick, and Penny Pritzker's control of the businesses in multiple lawsuits.[24] Pritzker's brothers joined in one of the lawsuits. In 2001,decided to sell family assets to allow eleven cousins to receive a share, dissolving the family's business ties. Disentangling the family's business interests took nearly a decade. The family sold its controlling stake in the Marmon Group to Berkshire Hathaway for $4.5billion in 2008. The Pritzker Realty Group sold Parking Spot, an airport parking management business Penny co-founded in 1998,[25] to Green Courte Partners LLC for $360million in 2011.[26]
Starting in 2005, she served as non-executive chairman of TransUnion.[27] In 2009, she co-founded Artemis Real Estate Partners LLC, a real estate investment management company, with Deborah Harmon.[28] In 2011, she founded an investment office, PSP Capital Partners.[29] Altogether, Pritzker started five companies before joining the federal government.
Government and political involvement
Pritzker's friendship with Barack Obama and his family dates back to the 1990s when he was a senior lecturer at the law school at The University of Chicago. Pritzker met Obama at a Chicago YMCA where her son participated in a basketball program coached by Obama's brother-in-law Craig Robinson.[30] Obama and his family were frequent guests at Pritzker's Lake Michigan vacation home.[31]
Pritzker was an early supporter of Obama's political career, helping to finance his 2004 Senate campaign. Early in the Democratic presidential primary, Pritzker's financing helped Obama's candidacy survive when Obama was trailing Hillary Clinton in the polls. Pritzker remained a major fundraiser for Obama during the 2008 Democratic primary and raised millions overall for his White House bid. She served as the national finance chair of Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.[32] Under her direction, the campaign reached out to small donors. Pritzker also hosted more lavish fundraisers as part of her effort to raise money.[33]
Following Obama's victory in the 2008 presidential election, CNN reported that Pritzker was president-elect Obama's top choice for Commerce Secretary.[34] However, Pritzker took herself out of the running.[35] [36] [37] According to the Chicago Tribune, she withdrew her name from consideration "due to obligations to her family, for whom she was still overseeing billions in assets, and the financial crisis, which was putting some of those assets at risk".[38] As a result of her public support for President Obama, Pritzker found herself the target of labor groups for Hyatt Hotels' practices. The president of Unite Here cited her connection to Obama as a reason why the group expected her to use better labor practices as the group staged demonstrations against Pritzker.
Pritzker was a member of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. She also served on the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Although she was less active in the 2012 Obama campaign than she had been four years prior, she served as national co-chair of Obama for America 2012. She was also on the board of directors of the Council on Foreign Relations,[39] [40] a nonpartisan think tank focused on world affairs and U.S. foreign policy.
Pritzker was appointed by President Joe Biden as U.S. special representative for Ukraine's economic recovery in 2023.[41]
Secretary of Commerce
Pritzker was nominated as United States Secretary of Commerce by President Barack Obama on May 2, 2013.[42] [43] To avoid conflicts of interest, Pritzker agreed to sell her interest in at least 221 companies and resign from 158 entities, including the Hyatt board of directors and the Chicago Board of Education.[44] [45] [46] Later that month, on May 23, the Senate held its confirmation hearing, which covered a variety of topics. Although Pritzker's family business dealings had been a target of Republican criticism when Obama announced her nomination, only three questions at the hearing related to her family.[47] Pritzker was confirmed by the full Senate on June 25, by a vote of 97 to 1.[48] Pritzker was sworn in as secretary on June 26, 2013.[49]
Among Pritzker's priorities was the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a proposed trade agreement that would have been the "largest regional trade agreement in history".[50] Pritzker supported the TPP as a way to provide market access to U.S. businesses and as a way for the U.S. to set the standards for trade. Leading up the 2016 presidential election, in which both major party candidates openly opposed the TPP, Pritzker and other Obama officials continued to push for the TPP's passage in Congress.[51] Ultimately, Congress failed to pass the TPP bill.[52]
Pritzker named a Digital Economy Board of Advisors, which included tech industry CEOs and academics, to advise on policy. Pritzker also expanded the IP attache program, which helps the tech industry protect their intellectual property abroad.[53] As secretary, Pritzker also created the Commerce Data Advisory Council to identify priorities for the Department of Commerce, a prolific publisher of data intended to allow businesses to plan and innovate.[54] Pritzker served as the lead negotiator for the United States in the E.U.–U.S. Privacy Shield, an agreement governing how companies transfer digital data from Europe to the United States.[55]
Following President Obama's announcement that the United States would move towards normalizing relations with Cuba, Pritzker traveled to Cuba.[56] Although Obama's change in policy did not end the U.S. trade embargo, since ending the embargo required an act of Congress, Pritzker met with Cuban trade ministers and other officials to discuss the changing relationship between the two countries and to lay the groundwork for more economic involvement.[57]
Following her tenure as secretary, Pritzker returned to PSP and the private sector.
U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery
On September 14, 2023, Penny Pritzker was appointed by President Biden as the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery. In this role, she works with the Ukrainian government, the G7, the EU, international financial institutions, international partners and the US private sector.
During her first visit to Kyiv in her new role, Pritzker met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the prime minister and government officials, the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada and American business.[58]
Civic and philanthropic activities
Pritzker was a member of the Chicago Board of Education and is past chair of the Chicago Public Education Fund.[59] She was advisory board chair of Skills for America's Future (SAF), a policy initiative of the Aspen Institute.[60] She is also a former chair of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.[61]
In 2002, Pritzker was elected to a six-year term on the 30-person Harvard Board of Overseers. In 2018, she was elected to the Harvard Corporation, the 12-person group which governs Harvard University.[62] Pritzker donated $100 million to Harvard in 2021 for the construction of a new economics department building.[63] She became the first woman to serve in the Corporation's top role, that of the senior fellow, in 2022.[64] After Harvard president Claudine Gay's resignation, Pritzker faced criticism and calls to resign as senior fellow from some prominent Harvard alumni and donors for the Corporation's handling of the events.[65] [66]
Pritzker and her husband, Bryan Traubert, have their own foundation called the Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation. The foundation focuses on physical activity for young people and increasing economic opportunity in Chicago.[67] Among their initiatives were a $5million donation to converting grass soccer fields to easier-to-maintain turf and a $1million donation to repair tennis courts around Chicago.[68] The Pritzkers also established ChicagoRun, a program that prepares Chicago-area children to run their first 5k race.
In 2012 Chicago magazine named her one of the 100 most powerful Chicagoans.[69] On March 26, 2014, Elle honored Pritzker, with others, at the Italian Embassy in the United States during its annual "Women in Washington Power List".[70]
In February 2018, Pritzker was elected to succeed Harvey V. Fineberg as chairperson of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, taking effect May 2018.[71]
In March 2020, Pritzker set up the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund, to assist non-profit organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, after receiving a call from her brother, Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker. The siblings announced the creation of the fund with $23 million in start up money on March 24, 2020, six days after Governor Pritzker's request. Pritzker and her husband contributed $1.5 million of the initial sum.[72] [73]
Personal life
Pritzker is married to ophthalmologist Bryan Traubert, with whom she has two children. Although her relationship with her brothers became strained following the family business restructuring, they eventually reconciled, and Penny expressed support for the idea of younger brother J.B. running for office in 2017.[74]
In the 1980s, after training for six months, Pritzker completed her first Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii in 12 hours. She has since completed multiple triathlons and marathons.
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: The fascinating life of Penny Pritzker (so far). Easton. Nina. June 2, 2014. Fortune. November 30, 2016 . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161208131705/http://fortune.com/2014/06/02/fortune-500-pritzker/ . December 8, 2016.
- Web site: Penny Prtizker. Forbes. live. September 28, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161206014741/http://www.forbes.com/profile/penny-pritzker/. December 6, 2016.
- Web site: President Biden Announces Members of President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology . whitehouse.gov. 22 September 2021 . 2022-08-27.
- Web site: Announcing the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery . 2023-11-19 . United States Department of State . en.
- News: Mishap kills Sue Pritzker, widow of Hyatt Hotel founder, at age 49 . https://archive.today/20120721142110/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/627438772.html?dids=627438772:627438772&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=May+08,+1982&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Mishap+kills+Sue+Pritzker,+widow+of+Hyatt+Hotel+founder,+at+age+49&pqatl=google . dead . July 21, 2012 . Chicago Tribune . May 8, 1982 .
- News: Penny Pritzker, Jewish Hotel Heiress, Tapped for Commerce Job . November 7, 2017 . The Forward. May 2, 2013. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170310121946/http://forward.com/news/breaking-news/175841/penny-pritzker-jewish-hotel-heiress-tapped-for-com/. March 10, 2017.
- Web site: J.B. Pritzker: The Other Mayor of Chicago. Bryan. Smith. Chicago magazine. February 21, 2019.
- News: Penny Pritzker Tackles Tough Assignments as Commerce Secretary. Davis. Julie Hirschfeld. October 8, 2015. The New York Times. April 16, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20161216202552/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/business/penny-pritzker-tackles-tough-assignments-as-commerce-secretary.html. December 16, 2016. live. 0362-4331.
- Web site: DeBare. Ilana. Prominent Alumnae of Girls' Schools . Where Girls Come First. November 27, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070710133643/http://www.wheregirlscomefirst.com/alumnae.php. July 10, 2007.
- News: Around Town. Palo Alto Weekly. November 9, 2005. May 2, 2013. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120212215601/http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/2005/2005_11_09.gatown09.shtml. February 12, 2012.
- Web site: Penny Pritzker. Madeline W.. Lissner. June 5, 2006. The Harvard Crimson. December 1, 2016.
- Tremors in the Empire. Tritsch. Shane. June 1, 2007. Chicago. April 29, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160921163810/http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/December-2002/Tremors-in-the-Empire/. September 21, 2016. live.
- News: Inside Penny Pritzker's portfolio: How a billionaire invests. Harris. Melissa. May 19, 2013. Chicago Tribune . April 19, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170419195756/http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-inside-penny-pritzkers-portfolio-how-a-billionaire-invests-20130522-column.html. April 19, 2017. live. MarksJarvis . Gail. en-US.
- News: A Top Obama Fund-Raiser Had Ties to Failed Bank . Emshwiller. John R.. July 21, 2008. The Wall Street Journal. A10. July 21, 2008 . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171107053509/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121660089138069207?mod=hps_us_editors_picks. November 7, 2017.
- News: The Pritzkers' Empire Trembles: Can a new generation halt the slide in the family's fortunes?. Weber. Joseph. September 10, 2001. Business Week. July 21, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080222012932/http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_37/b3748102.htm?chan=search. February 22, 2008. BusinessWeek. Woellert, Lorraine.
- News: A Partnership Frays After An S.& L. Fails; In Laying Blame, Trying to Sort Out One Deal Maker's Complicated Legacy. Barboza . David. August 7, 2001. The New York Times. July 21, 2008.
- News: Regulators close Chicago-area bank . Allison . Melissa . Neikirk, William . July 27, 2001. Chicago Tribune. July 21, 2008.
- News: Judge rules family, others cannot be sued concerning Superior Bank's collapse . Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News . September 28, 2004.
- David Mobert, Breaking the Bank, In These Times November 8, 2002
- http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F3/485/485.F3d.942.05-3651.05-3642.05-3500.05-1244.html John W. Courtney et al. v. Neal T. Halleren et al. (485 F.3d 942)
- Web site: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation . Failed Bank Information. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20121202004943/http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/superior.html. December 2, 2012.
- News: Obama's subprime pal. Pallasch. Abdon M.. April 28, 2008. Chicago Sun-Times. November 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20081102222349/http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/919177,CST-NWS-pritz28.article. November 2, 2008.
- Shattered Dynasty . Andrews. Suzanna. May 2003. Vanity Fair. April 29, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170222055838/http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/05/andrews200305. February 22, 2017. live.
- http://www.economist.com/node/184547 The Economist: "Jay Pritzker, pioneer of the modern hotel chain, died on January 23rd, aged 76"
- Web site: Penny S. Pritzker – Biography. 2008. Penny Pritzker – Official website . Staff . November 19, 2008. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081022145107/http://www.penny-pritzker.com/penny-pritzker-biography.html . October 22, 2008.
- News: Pritzker Realty sells parking lot chain to private equity firm. Sachdev. Ameet. December 9, 2011. tribunedigital-chicagotribune. April 2, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160701134519/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-12-09/business/chi-pritzker-realty-sells-parking-lot-chain-to-private-equity-firm-20111209_1_pritzker-realty-group-tom-pritzker-valet-service. July 1, 2016. live. Harris. Melissa.
- https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1513512/000119312511072512/d424b3.htm Prospectus
- News: Penny Pritzker's Artemis raises $736 million for real estate investments. Gallun. Alby. January 11, 2012. Crain's Chicago Business. April 19, 2017.
- Web site: PSP Capital Partners, LLC . https://web.archive.org/web/20170429014542/http://www.pspcapital.com/. April 29, 2017. live. April 12, 2017.
- News: Obama's New Commerce Secretary: A Billionaire Chicago Hotel Magnate . Vasilogambros. Matt. May 2, 2013. The Atlantic. April 16, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170417154954/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/05/obamas-new-commerce-secretary-a-billionaire-chicago-hotel-magnate/275500/. April 17, 2017. live.
- News: Penny Pritzker Had Big Role in Obama '08 but Is Backstage in '12. Kantor. Jodi. July 15, 2012. The New York Times. May 26, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170531102739/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/us/politics/penny-pritzker-had-big-role-in-obama-08-but-is-backstage-in-12.html. May 31, 2017. live. Confessore. Nicholas. 0362-4331.
- News: Obama's Campaign Takes In $25 Million,He Nearly Matches Clinton, With Twice as Many Donors. April 5, 2008. The Washington Post. printable. Anne E. Kornblut. Matthew Mosk . amp. September 24, 2008. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20080725153946/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040400989.html. July 25, 2008.
- News: Obama Picks Up Fund-Raising Pace . July 3, 2008. The Washington Post. Michael Luo. Christopher Drew. amp. live. February 12, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130501054149/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/us/politics/03donate.html?n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FSubjects%2FU%2FUnited%20States%20Politics%20and%20Government. May 1, 2013.
- News: Sources: Pritzker, Napolitano being vetted for Cabinet . November 20, 2008 . November 20, 2008 . CNN . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20121105051705/http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/20/transition.wrap/index.html?iref=newssearch . November 5, 2012 .
- Web site: Pritzker turns down Commerce . . Allen . Mike . November 20, 2008 . live . February 12, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120908125210/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15827.html . September 8, 2012 .
- News: Pritzker not a candidate for commerce secretary . printable . . Gloria Borger, Jason Carrol, Ed Henry, Jamie McIntyre, John King, Ed Hornick, Don Lemon, Jessica Yellin . November 20, 2008 . live . February 12, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130307191050/http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/20/transition.wrap/index.html . March 7, 2013 .
- News: Pritzker Withdraws From Cabinet Consideration . The New York Times . Brian . Knowlton . November 20, 2008 . May 22, 2010 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20101115165732/http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/pritzker-withdraws-from-cabinet-consideration/ . November 15, 2010 .
- News: Penny Pritzker U.S. commerce secretary . Harris. Melissa. March 3, 2013. Chicago Tribune. December 2, 2016. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161202172330/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-03/business/ct-biz-0303-confidential-penny-pritzker-20130303_1_penny-pritzker-commerce-secretary-fundraiser. December 2, 2016.
- Web site: Penny S. Pritzker - Biography. October 31, 2011 . www.penny-pritzker.com . December 2, 2016 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111031012750/http://www.penny-pritzker.com/penny-pritzker-biography.html . October 31, 2011.
- Web site: Nomination of Penny Pritzker To Be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce. May 23, 2013. United States Government Publishing Office. https://web.archive.org/web/20170419002810/https://www.congress.gov/113/chrg/shrg94056/CHRG-113shrg94056.htm. April 19, 2017. live. April 18, 2017.
- News: 2023-09-14 . Biden names Penny Pritzker as representative for Ukraine's economic recovery . en . Reuters . 2023-09-14.
- [Lynn Sweet|Sweet, Lynn]
- News: Calmes. Jackie. Obama Picks Nominees for Commerce Dept. and Trade Representative. November 7, 2017. The New York Times. May 2, 2013. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171024092628/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/us/politics/obama-to-nominate-pritzker-for-commerce-post.html. October 24, 2017.
- News: The Trump Administration's Conflicts of Interest: A Crib Sheet. Venook. Jeremy. January 18, 2017. The Atlantic. April 14, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170415202626/https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/01/trumps-appointees-conflicts-of-interest-a-crib-sheet/512711/. April 15, 2017. live. en-US.
- News: Penny Pritzker to be nominated for Commerce secretary. Parsons. Christi. May 2, 2013 . Chicago Tribune. April 14, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170415103916/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-05-02/news/chi-penny-pritzker-commerce-secretary-20130502_1_psp-capital-partners-penny-pritzker-commerce-secretary/2. April 15, 2017. live. Harris . Melissa. en. Skiba. Katherine.
- News: Pritzker Yields Party Role Reversal on Offshore Trusts. Litvan. Laura. May 20, 2013. Bloomberg.com. April 15, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170416125435/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-05-20/pritzker-yields-party-role-reversal-on-offshore-trusts. April 16, 2017. live.
- News: Pritzker likely on confirmation path . Parti. Tarini. May 23, 2013. Politico. December 2, 2016. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161202171829/http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/penny-pritzker-confirmation-hearing-091822. December 2, 2016.
- http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/penny-pritzker-confirmed-commerce-secretary-93350.html?hp=l7 Penny Pritzker confirmed as Commerce secretary – Dan Berman
- News: Pritzker Takes Oath as Commerce Secretary. June 26, 2013. NBC Chicago. April 2, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170402170154/http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Pritzker-Commerce-Secretary-213152011.html. April 2, 2017. live.
- News: Penny Pritzker Tackles Tough Assignments as Commerce Secretary. Davis. Julie Hirschfeld. October 8, 2015. The New York Times . April 16, 2017. 0362-4331. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161216202552/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/business/penny-pritzker-tackles-tough-assignments-as-commerce-secretary.html. December 16, 2016.
- News: Obama administration officials ramp up push for Pacific pact. Needham. Vicki. September 29, 2016. TheHill. June 4, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161002051040/http://thehill.com/policy/finance/298633-obama-administration-officials-push-for-pacific-pact. October 2, 2016. live.
- News: Penny Pritzker talks post-government life, AI and Airbnb. Primack. Dan. May 26, 2017. Axios. May 27, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170526131646/https://www.axios.com/penny-pritzker-talks-post-government-life-ai-and-airbnb-2422165574.html. May 26, 2017. live.
- Web site: Tech Frets About Trump Commerce Department's Digital Stance. Bloomberg BNA. https://web.archive.org/web/20170419200427/https://www.bna.com/tech-frets-trump-n73014448443/. April 19, 2017. live. April 15, 2017.
- Web site: Talking innovation in a data-enabled economy with Secretary Penny Pritzker TechCrunch. Collins. Shelly Kapoor. March 2, 2016. Tech Crunch. https://web.archive.org/web/20160607195138/http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/02/talking-innovation-in-a-data-enabled-economy-with-secretary-penny-pritzker/. June 7, 2016. live. June 10, 2017.
- News: Penny Pritzker on the Privacy Shield Pact With Europe. Scott. Mark. March 8, 2016. The New York Times. April 15, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160722074426/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/09/technology/penny-pritzker-on-the-privacy-shield-pact-with-europe.html. July 22, 2016. live. 0362-4331.
- Web site: Penny Pritzker, secretary of commerce, wraps Cuba trip. Oppmann. Patrick. October 7, 2015. CNN. https://web.archive.org/web/20170423155201/http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/07/politics/penny-pritzker-cuba-obama-commerce/index.html. April 23, 2017. live. April 22, 2017.
- News: US Commerce Secretary Pritzker in Cuba for embargo talks. October 16, 2015. BBC News. April 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170423153230/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-34461415. April 23, 2017. live. en-GB.
- Web site: Менше допомоги, більше бізнесу. Для чого Байдену в Україні спецпредставниця Пріцкер . 2023-11-19 . Українська правда . uk.
- News: The Chicago Public Education Fund Announces new Chairman, transition plan - Chicago Public Education Fund. May 25, 2011. Chicago Public Education Fund. April 23, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170423152237/http://thefundchicago.org/the-chicago-public-education-fund-announces-new-chairman-transition-plan/. April 23, 2017. live. en-US.
- Web site: The Aspen Institute. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120325025003/http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/economic-opportunities/skills-americas-future/our-people . March 25, 2012 . December 2, 2016.
- Web site: Penny Pritzker and Bryan Traubert. ARTnews. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20161231211536/http://www.artnews.com/top200/penny-pritzker-and-bryan-traubert/. December 31, 2016. live. April 23, 2017.
- Web site: Harvard's Governing Boards Refreshed. May 23, 2018. Harvard Magazine. May 29, 2018.
- News: Wang . Andy Z. . Penny Pritzker '81 Donates $100 Million for New Economics Department Building . https://web.archive.org/web/20240105031703/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/9/21/pritzker-funds-new-economics-building/ . January 5, 2024 . January 7, 2024. . September 21, 2021.
- News: Kapos . Shia . Stratford . Michael . Fuchs . Hailey . Harvard agitators turn their ire toward Penny Pritzker . https://web.archive.org/web/20240105031516/https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/03/harvard-antisemitism-billionaires-00133742 . January 5, 2024 . January 7, 2024. . January 3, 2024.
- News: Haidar . Emma H. . Kettles . Cam E. . Rebuffing Calls to Resign, Penny Pritzker '81 Will Stay in Top Harvard Corporation Post . https://web.archive.org/web/20240105002501/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/1/4/pritzker-remains-senior-fellow/ . January 5, 2024 . January 7, 2024. . January 4, 2024.
- News: Egan . Matt . Does the secretive board running Harvard get a failing grade? . https://web.archive.org/web/20240106001712/https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/03/business/harvard-secretive-board-claudine-gay/index.html . January 6, 2024 . January 7, 2024. . January 4, 2024.
- News: U.S. Commerce Secretary Pritzker's Passion For Triathlon. Goffredo. Kendra. March 26, 2015. Triathlete.com. April 23, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170424174215/http://www.triathlete.com/2015/03/features/u-s-commerce-secretary-pritzkers-passion-triathlon_112251. April 24, 2017. live. en-US.
- News: Kapos: Tennis courts get $1M in Pritzker love. January 22, 2017. Chicago Sun-Times. April 23, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170205191023/http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/kapos-tennis-courts-get-1m-in-pritzker-love/. February 5, 2017. live. en.
- News: 100 Most Powerful Chicagoans. Bailey, Berstein, Burke, Colburn. March 2012. Chicago Magazine. November 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20120427101539/http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/March-2012/100-Most-Powerful-Chicagoans-Penny-Pritzker/. April 27, 2012. dead. etal.
- Web site: Gucci and Elle Honor Women in Washington Power List . WWD . March 26, 2014 . March 28, 2014 . Watters, Susan . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140411092134/http://www.wwd.com/eye/parties/gucci-and-elle-honor-women-in-washington-power-list-7617841?src=nl%2FwkEye%2F20140328 . April 11, 2014 . mdy-all .
- Web site: Penny Pritzker Elected Chairman of the Board for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace . Carnegie Endowment for International Peace . February 22, 2018 . October 11, 2018 . mdy-all .
- Web site: How Gov. Pritzker, sister Penny — billionaires both — jump-started Illinois COVID-19 relief fund. Sweet. Lynn. 2020-03-29. Chicago Sun-Times. en. 2020-03-31.
- News: O'Connor. John. Pritzker Taps Obama Aide – His Sister – for Coronavirus Relief. March 27, 2020. nbcchicago.com. March 31, 2020. Associated Press.
- News: Sweet: Commerce Secretary Pritzker ponders next move. Chicago Sun-Times. April 1, 2017. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170401145749/http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/sweet-presidents-pal-pritzker-ponders-next-move/. April 1, 2017.