CHICAGO — In all business and personal dealings, Col. James Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Pritzker fortune, now identifies as Jennifer Natalya Pritzker, a woman, according to a report from Crain's Chicago Business.
Pritzker, of Evanston, rarely makes public appearances or speaks about her personal life, but has invested millions of dollars to develop and preserve the city's Far North Side.
Pritzker released a statement to employees of Tawani Enterprises and the Pritzker Military Library, saying she'll officially change her name and "now be known as Jennifer Natalya Pritzker" and "identifies herself as a woman for all business and personal undertakings," Crain's reported.
In Rogers Park, her Tawani Enterprises has preserved such buildings as the Mayne Stage, the 13-story Farcroft Building, the Emil Bach House, the Cat's Cradle Bed and Breakfast and has also won the alderman's approval to build a four-story parking garage on North Sheridan Road.
Pritzker, 62, is worth $1.5 billion, according to Forbes.
Last month, the Evanston city council killed Pritzker's proposal to buy a historic, lakefront mansion and convert it into a boutique hotel.
A spokeswoman for Tawani Enterprises couldn't immediately be reached Friday morning for comment.
