In the summer of 1997, moviegoers packed theaters for “Air Force One,” a political action thriller that imagined what might happen if the President of the United States were taken hostage mid-flight. Harrison Ford played the fictional President James Marshall, a Medal of Honor-winning war hero who ends up in a one-man battle against Russian terrorists aboard the presidential jet. The film was a smash hit, earning over $315 million worldwide and ranking among the top five highest-grossing films of the year.
Harrison Ford was paid $22 million for the role — the equivalent of nearly $43 million today after adjusting for inflation. That still stands as the highest single-movie salary of his entire career. At the time, Harrison’s net worth was around $50 million. Today, he’s worth closer to $300 million.
In the film, Harrison’s wife, “Grace Marshal,” is played by Wendy Crewson. His daughter, “Alice Marshall,” was played by Liesel Matthews. During the filming, Liesel would have been 12 years old. At the film’s red carpet premiere, which took place on July 21, 1997, in Century City, California, Liesel would have been 13. Below is a photo of Wendy, Harrison, and Liesel on the night of the premier. I bet Harrison had no idea that his teenage co-star was technically already 10 times richer than him…
Harrison Ford, Wendy Crewson, & Liesel Matthews (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
A Short Hollywood Career With a Long Shadow
Born Liesel Anne Pritzker in Chicago in 1984, she adopted the stage name Liesel Matthews (borrowing her brother Matthew’s name) when she began acting professionally. Before “Air Force One,” she was best known for her starring role in the 1995 Alfonso Cuarón-directed adaptation of “A Little Princess.” The performance earned her a Young Artist Award nomination and positioned her as one of the most promising young talents in Hollywood.
But her acting career was remarkably brief. After “Air Force One” and one final role in the 2000 indie film “Blast,” she quietly stepped away from the industry altogether. By then, she’d already begun focusing on something far more lucrative — and far more personal.
The Pritzker Empire: Hotels, Credit Bureaus, and Billions
The Pritzkers are a family synonymous with old-school, generational wealth. Liesel is one of twelve surviving grandchildren of A.N. Pritzker, a Chicago financier who laid the foundation for the dynasty. Her father, Robert Pritzker, created a conglomerate of manufacturing companies that evolved into the Marmon Group, a multibillion-dollar holding company. Her uncle, Jay Pritzker, founded Hyatt Hotels in 1957 — which today owns or manages more than 1,200 properties in 70+ countries.
The family has also held major stakes in Braniff Airlines, Royal Caribbean Cruises, and TransUnion, the credit bureau that tracks the financial data of millions of Americans.
By the 1990s, the total Pritzker fortune was estimated at around $15 billion — largely held in complex family trusts, private deals, and low-profile partnerships.
The $6 Billion Lawsuit That Changed the Family Forever
While attending Columbia University in 2002, Liesel Pritzker filed a bombshell $6 billion lawsuit against her father and 11 older cousins. She alleged that her inheritance had been misappropriated — that the money set aside for her and her brother Matthew had quietly been folded into the broader family fortune without their consent.
The lawsuit shocked the famously private Pritzkers and brought their internal financial dealings into public view for the first time.
By 2005, the case was settled. The family agreed to divide the empire into 11 equal parts. As a result, ten new Pritzkers appeared on the Forbes 400 list in one fell swoop — including Liesel. She and her brother each received around $280 million in cash, plus control over additional trusts worth another $170 million each. Today, the 41-year-old Liesel is worth $1.5 billion. That makes her five times richer than Harrison Ford today 🙂
Unclear if Liesel and her father, Robert Pritzker, ever patched things up. Unfortunately, he died in 2011.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is Liesel’s first couson. In fact, J.B. was named after her father — his full name is Jay Robert Pritzker. J.B.’s father, Donald Pritzker, was Robert’s younger brother. Donald died of a heart attack in 1972 while playing tennis at a Hyatt hotel in Honolulu. He was just 39 years old. J.B. was only seven at the time.
Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Fortune
From Heiress to Impact Investor
After the dust settled, Liesel Pritzker Simmons could have faded into quiet billionaire anonymity. Instead, she chose purpose.
Along with her husband, Ian Simmons — heir to the Montgomery Ward department store fortune and a descendant of early Erie Canal developers — she co-founded the Blue Haven Initiative, a family office focused on impact investing. The goal? To use her wealth not just to make returns, but to drive measurable social change.
Through Blue Haven, the couple has pledged tens of millions toward sustainable startups and ethical financial institutions. Some of their notable investments include:
- EcoPost, a Kenyan company that transforms plastic waste into durable building materials
- Karibu Homes, an affordable housing developer in Nairobi
- Numerous green energy and fintech ventures across Africa and South Asia
Liesel also founded Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO), a global network that supports microfinance efforts through the nonprofit Opportunity International. The organization provides small loans, insurance, and training to millions of entrepreneurs — most of them women — working their way out of poverty.
She may have disappeared from movie screens, but Liesel Pritzker Simmons didn’t fade. She turned inherited billions into impact, privilege into purpose — and may just be the most quietly powerful former child star of all time.
