Early Life
Linda Pritzker was born in September 1953, in Oberlin, Ohio, to Robert Pritzker and Audrey Gilbert. She is a member of the Pritzker family, famous for the Hyatt Hotel chain and the Marmon Group conglomerate. Growing up in a wealthy family, she had two siblings: Jennifer and Karen Pritzker. After her parents divorced, her mother remarried Albert B. Ratner, and her father remarried Irene Dryburgh.
Rise to Success
Pritzker began her journey in spiritual inquiry by exploring Tibetan Buddhism. She studied extensively with Tibetan meditation master Tulku Sangak Rinpoche. In 1995, she began studying with Tibetan meditation master Tulku Sangak Rinpoche and became fluent in Tibetan. Rinpoche is the world holder of the Namchak Lineage, a branch of the Nyingma path of Tibetan Buddhism. Pritzker was ordained a lama in February 2005 by Rinpoche. Pritzker's wealth primarily stems from her inheritance and stake in her father's business after it was sold in 2008. She is also known by the name Lama Tsomo. She is now a spiritual teacher and author, co-founding the Namchak Foundation and Namchak Retreat Ranch in Missoula, Montana.
Key Business Strategies
Linda Pritzker is the co-founder of the Namchak Foundation and the Namchak Retreat Ranch. These organizations are dedicated to promoting Tibetan Buddhist teachings and providing opportunities for spiritual retreats and education.
Philanthropy
Pritzker founded the Namchak Foundation in 2009 to offer online learning and in-person training sessions to cultivate the next generation of teachers and practitioners of the Namchak sect of Buddhism. She has contributed over $1 million to the Democratic Party, Democratic candidates, and liberal Super PACs. She is a strong supporter of Democratic and Liberal causes and organizations.