One family, eight family offices…and counting

There maybe a family that has more than eight family offices, but Family Capital can’t find any so far that beats the total investment groups amassed by arguably America’s wealthiest family dynasty, the Pritzker family. Family Capital reckons there are at least eight family offices managing different parts of the family’s fortunes. All eight have a public profile, so there could be a few more Pritzker investment groups with little or no public profile. Anyway, here are the high profile eight in no particular order…

Pritzker Group

Chicago and Los Angeles-based Pritzker Group is run and owned by brothers Tony and JB Pritzker. The Pritzker Group has arguably become the biggest family-backed venture capital group in the world, with deals done by the group’s venture capital arm amounting to an impressive 26 in the calendar year from the beginning of December 2015, according to CrunchBase. And they were worth close to $300 million. The private capital part of the Pritzker Group, which targets middle-market businesses, many of them with a family-business background, is also a core part of the group. Last year, it acquired packaging group ProAmpac, and seven of Pritzker’s other investments made add-on acquisitions last year as well. Last year as well, the Pritzker Group won Family Capital’s Investor of the Year. 

The Pritzker Organisation

The Pritzker Organization, the family investment group of Thomas Pritzker. The family office evolved out of the Pritzker & Pritzker family office, which managed the interests of the Pritzker family before the restructuring and the division of their wealth took place in the 2000s – this led to many of these new family offices being set up. Thomas is chairman of the Hyatt Group, where a large chunk of the Pritzker money originates from, and he is the only member of the family to still have a management role at the hotel group.

Tao Capital Partners

The San Francisco-based family office of Nicholas Pritzker, Tao Capital is a big investor in some of the most high-profile businesses anywhere, including Tesla, SpaceX, and Uber. Tao is also a big venture capital investor, with at least 19 rounds of investing in 15 different companies since 2011.

Blue Haven Initiative

The family office of Liesel Pritzker Simmons and her husband, Ian Simmons, Blue Haven was founded in 2012 and is committed to impact investing. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the group also invests in traditional asset classes through third-party investment managers.

Pritzker/Vlock Family Office

The family office of Michael Vlock and Karen Pritzker, which manages and owns both direct and indirect investments, including the venture fund group, LaunchCapital.  The Chicago-based family office has also invested in a number of prominent property deals, including a Southern Californian residential housing project a few years ago.

PSP Capital Partners

The family office of Penny Pritzker, who served as US Secretary of Commerce in the Obama Administration. Based in Chicago, PSP Capital Partners looks to take long-term stakes in private businesses and property. It also does indirect investments into hedge funds and limited partnerships.

Tawani Enterprises

The private investment office of Jennifer Pritzker, the former colonel in the US army who announced her transgender from James to Jennifer in 2013. Much of the Chicago-based Tawani’s investments are linked to property.

DNS Capital

The investment office for Gigi Pritzker and her husband Michael Pucker, who is CEO and chairman of DNS Capital. The Chicago-based office is involved in a host of investments and does direct private equity and venture capital investing.