Hyatt Executive Chair Thomas Pritzker Steps Down Amid Epstein Ties
Chicago, IL – Thomas Pritzker, 75, executive chair of Hyatt Hotels, has resigned “effective immediately” following the release of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice detailing his connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt’s president and CEO, will assume Pritzker’s role.
The documents revealed extensive email exchanges and meetings between Pritzker and Epstein over more than a decade, extending up to 2019. Epstein was convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor and faced federal child sex trafficking charges in 2019 before dying in prison.
In a statement, Pritzker acknowledged his “terrible judgment” in maintaining contact with Epstein and Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for trafficking minors. “Good stewardship … means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply regret,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker had led Hyatt as executive chair since 2004, following his tenure as president and CEO. The hotel group was founded by his father, Jay Pritzker.
This resignation is the latest in a series of corporate shake-ups following the disclosures of Epstein’s emails, which have implicated several high-profile figures. Earlier this month, Brad Karp stepped down as chair of law firm Paul Weiss, and Goldman Sachs general counsel Kathy Ruemmler announced plans to resign after similar revelations.