Mary Kathryn Muenster (born May 25, 1967; Age: 56) is an American philanthropist who is most famous for being the wife of Jay Robert “J.B.” Pritzker and first lady of the US state of Illinois. Pritzker is the 43rd governor of Illinois and an American billionaire, investor, and philanthropist.
Mary Kathryn Muenster has always been in the spotlight as her parents were politicians, but becoming the First Lady of the state of Illinois was the peak of it as this has got many people eager to know more about her, especially people of her home state of Illinois. Here is a read on all you need to know about Mary Kathryn Muenster.
Summary of Mary Kathryn Muenster’s Bio
- Full name: Mary Kathryn Muenster Pritzker
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: May 25, 1967
- Mary Kathryn Muenster’s Age: 56 years old
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Gemini
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christian
- Marital Status: Married
- Mary Kathryn Muenster’s Husband: Jay Robert “J.B.” Pritzker
- Mary Kathryn Muenster’s Children: Teddi Pritzker and Donny Pritzker
- Mary Kathryn Muenster’s Parents: Theodore Muenster and Karen Muenster
- Siblings: Tom Muenster and Ted Muenster
- Mary Kathryn Muenster’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 8 inches
- Mary Kathryn Muenster’s Height in Centimeters: 172.72 cm
- Mary Kathryn Muenster’s Weight: 55 kg
- Famous for: Being the wife of Jay Robert “J.B.” Pritzker and first lady of Illinois
Mary Kathryn Muenster Was Born in South Dakota
Mary Kathryn Muenster was born on May 25, 1967, to her parents Theodore Muenster and Karen Muenster in South Dakota. She was born into a Christian family and has the Gemini zodiac sign by virtue of her birthdate. Mary is an American and belongs to the white ethnicity.
Her father was the chief of staff to South Dakota governor, Richard Kneip while her mother had also served as a state senator in South Dakota from 1987 until 1993. In 1990, her father ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.
Mary Kathryn had a comfortable childhood as her parents were well-to-do. She grew up alongside two brothers named Tom Muenster and Ted Muenster in the Midwest. In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, she disclosed that she was very close to her grandmother while growing up.
Coming from a well-to-do American family, it is almost a given that Mary Kathryn Muenster is well-read. She completed her primary and high school education at prestigious schools and went further to get enrolled in the University of Nebraska but later took a break from her studies at the University to work as an aide to South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle in Washington, DC.
Mary Kathryn Muenster Is A Politician And The President of Evergreen Invitational NFP.
When it comes to her profession, not much is known about the first lady of Illinois owing to the fact that she maintains a low profile and has not disclosed much about her professional life. It is not known for sure what she does for a living but information gathered on her shows that she is into politics as she once served as a political aide.
Mary Kathryn Muenster is now the president of Evergreen Invitational NFP, a non-profit organization, and she is also the president and director of the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation and the Pritzker Children Initiative, both of which focuses on early childhood, community, and women’s health issues.
Mary Kathryn and J. B. Pritzker’s Met Through A Mutual Friend In Washington
While Mary Kathryn Muenster worked as an aide to U.S. Senator Tom Daschle, she was set up on a blind date with Jay Robert in Washington by a mutual friend – and that was how they met.
Describing the date in an interview, Mary recalled that Jay Robert realized he was without his wallet while they were already trying to make some orders. Upon realizing that JB excused himself and ran four blocks away (to his car) in his blazer and tie to get the wallet.
She said he returned 10 minutes later thinking she must have gone home only to still find that Mary remained in the restaurant. They started dating shortly after that and after some time, they took their relationship to the next level and got married in 1993.
The couple has been living happily together as husband and wife for over 3 decades now and there has been no rumor of a separation neither has there been any controversy around their marriage.
Mary Kathryn Muenster is known to inspire her spouse. One of the best illustrations of this is in weight issues. She gave her spouse the ideal remedy and inspired him to invest in a business called Retrofit.
The Chicago-based startup works with businesses to leverage mobile technologies to assist staff in losing weight. The program, which included Skype video conferences with dietitians, psychiatrists, and exercise physiologists, helped Mary’s husband lose 50 pounds.
Mary and Jay Robert are blessed with two children: Teddi and Donny Pritzker. Teddi (born in 2003) is the only daughter born to her parents, her exact date of birth is not disclosed to the media. She is said to have attended Francis W. Parker School. No information about her has been revealed as she maintains a low profile. On the other hand, Donny is the couple’s only son and just like his sister, details about him are unknown to the public.
Her Husband, J.B. Pritzker Is The Governor Of The State Of Illinois
Mary Kathryn Muenster’s husband, Jay Robert “J.B” Pritzker born January 19th, 1965 in Atherton, California, is an American billionaire businessman, philanthropist, and politician who is currently serving as the 43rd governor of the state of Illinois.
Jay Robert comes from an affluent family (the Pritzker family) that controls the global hotel chain, Hyatt. The Governor has founded multiple venture capital and investment firms, including the Pritzer Group where he serves as a managing partner.
As a politician, Mary’s husband has been a long-time financial supporter and active member of the Democratic Party. After winning a competitive primary contest, he was nominated as the Democratic Party candidate for the governorship race in Illinois in the 2018 general election.
By January 14, 2019, he was elected as governor of Illinois after defeating the Republican incumbent, Bruce Rauner on November 6th, 2018. He was re-elected in 2022 for a second term as the governor of Illinois.
He tries his best to perform his duties as a governor, a husband, and a father.
Mary Kathryn Muenster’s Net Worth
Mary Kathryn Muenster’s net worth is not available as the governor’s wife has not disclosed any detail that might specifically quantify her income – although chances are that she has likely made a substantial amount of fortune of her own.
Moreso, her husband is said to have a net worth estimated to be $3.5 billion. The Pritzker family’s net worth combined is $33.5 billion, which currently places them as the 15th in the list of the world’s wealthiest families.
