Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has defended his billionaire status while criticizing progressive Democrats’ anti-billionaire rhetoric, despite being worth approximately $4.3 billion.
During an interview with Kaitlan Collins, Pritzker addressed concerns about socialist Democrats who target billionaires as the enemy. “I think it’s about what do you stand for and what do you actually accomplish for people, not how much money you have,” he said.
When pressed by Collins on whether he was comfortable with progressive Democrats within his party who rail against the billionaire class, Pritzker referenced Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump. “Look at Donald Trump and the way he has treated working-class and middle-class people,” he added. “The fact is that I understand why people feel as they do.”
Pritzker also claimed former President Trump suffers from dementia, stating, “The man is continually suffering from dementia. I don’t think he really understands what he’s saying. I think he has these concepts in his head, and he blurts them out without really thinking.”
Additionally, the governor’s cousin Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation in February 2026 after 22 years following his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. In a letter to the board, Thomas Pritzker wrote, “Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, which I deeply regret.”
The governor is the heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune.
