On Thursday, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker was confronted about his substantial Blackjack winnings in a press conference.
The governor was answering questions at his press conference when a reporter from NBC confronted him about his $1.4 million dollar haul. The Pritzker campaign issued the tax summaries for the 2024 year this week sparking some questions about the source.
“I went on vacation with my wife, with some friends. I was incredibly lucky. You have to be to end up ahead, frankly, going to a casino anywhere — it was in Las Vegas — and I like to play cards,” Pritzker told the reporters at the news conference Thursday.
In 2024, the tax summary accounted for by Deloitte stipulated that Pritzker and his wife MK had a total income of around $10.6 million. According to ABC News Chicago, Pritzker received a $4.8 million standard deduction, making his taxable income only $5.9 million. (RELATED: Democrats Target Wisconsin’s Steil and Van Orden in National Redistricting Wars)
Pritzker has a net worth of about $3.9 billion, according to Pritzker’s profile on Forbes, an uptick of about $200 million from a year ago. Pritzker, who is the heir apparent to the Hyatt Hotels Corporation, said that he will be donating the winnings to charity. Likely due to the disclosure of his personal finances and possible bad publicity that could stem. (RELATED: Politics on Display: Middleton High Assignment Brands Students ‘Nazis’)
Pritzker is running for his third term as Illinois governor in the 2026 election, his campaign announced in June. His name has also been a popular pick for the Democratic ticket in the 2028 Presidential Election. Although his campaign hasn’t announced official candidacy, Pritzker “hasn’t ruled it out” as he said in August.
