About

The Project

This is a Kickstarter. On Substack.

The goal is to publish the most comprehensive account of the Pritzker family—a powerful yet largely unknown dynasty.

They rose from a Jewish ghetto in Kiev to become America’s sixth-wealthiest family1, with a potential presidential candidate in their ranks.

They bought, built, and reshaped industries while avoiding the spotlight. Before the heirs dismantled the empire, the family holdings spanned real estate, manufacturing, tobacco, shipping, and more—crossing paths with everyone from political power players to Hollywood icons.

If you're deeply curious—someone who loves to read, think, and learn—you're exactly who I'm looking for.

The Plan

Research like this requires time, patience, and relentless digging. Robert Caro spent years uncovering Robert Moses. At 90, he’s still finishing the final volume of his LBJ biography–a project five decades in the making.

So here's the plan:

I'm going to investigate the Pritzkers full-time. Every deal. Every relationship. An autopsy of the dynasty.

This is a biography told in real time. When a section is done right, subscribers will get it. Some months that might mean multiple articles. Other months, just one. I won’t sacrifice quality to meet deadlines.

To prevent ‘Pritzker burnout’—and to give myself some flexibility—I’ll mix in business histories and case studies unrelated to the Pritzkers.

Like Caro, this project will take years. Unlike Caro, I’d rather not go broke doing it.

What It Takes

While working at Newsday, Robert Caro decided to write a book about Robert Moses. As a reporter, he had seen enough of Moses to know his story warranted a book.

With a wife, a child, no savings, and a book advance that wouldn’t supplement a weekly paycheck, he secured a one-year fellowship—awarded to only one writer per year—which provided a stipend. He left Newsday to work on the book full-time.

He thought it would take nine months. A year passed. The book was barely started. The money was gone.

For about the next four years money was a problem.

His wife sold their house, and they moved into an apartment in the Bronx. That covered another year of expenses. Later, with the book only half-finished, the time came when, as Caro put it, “…we really totally ran out of money.”

If you haven’t read Working by Robert Caro, I’d highly recommend it.

Eventually, The Power Broker—a book that wasn’t expected to sell many copies and took seven years to complete—became one of the most acclaimed biographies of the 20th century and won a Pulitzer.

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I have slightly tempered expectations for this project–but real research takes time. And money.

I wouldn’t have used it in the book unless I had something in writing. People ask why these books take so long. Over and over you hear about some collection of written documents, and you have to try to find them. You know, you put it together from so many different places. But you always needed something in writing. —Robert Caro, Harper’s Magazine (Dec. 2014)

Why It Matters

History fades every day–especially corporate history. Especially pre-1990.

Not just from poor record-keeping or lack of interest, but because people pass away, and companies and agencies actively destroy documents they don’t want to store. 

And then there are the fires, the floods, and the records that vanish forever.

Much of what does remain isn’t online. A Google search won’t find it. The longer someone waits, the harder it becomes. More gaps. Fewer sources.

The Pritzkers built one of the greatest corporate empires in American history. They structured some of the best deals I’ve ever seen. But their story has never been told at the level it deserves.

If you believe this work should be done, this is how you can make it happen.

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Subscription Details

• Starting price: $800 per year

• Lifetime price lock: Your rate stays fixed as long as you maintain continuous membership. (If you cancel and later rejoin, you'll pay the going rate at that time.)

• Price structure: Rates will increase by 20% for every 100 new subscribers.

• Limited availability: Total paid memberships will be capped at 500.

Founder Member (Available Year 1 Only)

All Year 1 subscribers are Founders. Founders receive:

• A signed physical copy of Autopsy of a Merger by Bill Owen2 (while supplies last).

• Lifetime free access to all future projects: If you stay subscribed until the Pritzker project is done, your membership becomes permanent–no more fees. You’ll also receive a free copy of any books or major works from future projects.

• Acknowledgement: the option to be listed–name, twitter handle, etc.–on an Acknowledgment Page on Substack and, if any works are published, in print as a supporter of the project.

(If this succeeds, I have three more families in mind–even less known than the Pritzkers.)

After Year 1, the Founder Tier closes. A standard tier at the same price will open–unless the 500-member cap is hit first.

If you’d like to support this project with a one-time contribution, you can buy me a coffee here.