Billionaire hotel executive Thomas Pritzker has stepped down as chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation after newly released files from the U.S. Department of Justice detailed his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement issued Monday, Pritzker said he had shown “terrible judgement” by continuing to maintain contact with Epstein after his conviction.
Pritzker, who has served as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation since 2004, said the decision to step aside followed conversations with fellow board members. He confirmed that he will not seek re-election, signaling an end to a two-decade run at the helm of the global hotel chain.
The newly disclosed records indicate that Pritzker remained in regular contact with Epstein in the years following the financier’s 2008 plea deal on sex crime charges. The documents add fresh detail to the timeline of their association and have intensified questions about why the ties continued after Epstein’s conviction.
Explaining his decision, Pritzker said his primary obligation had always been stewardship of the company.
“My job and responsibility is to provide good stewardship… Good stewardship includes ensuring a proper transition at Hyatt,” he said.
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He added that stewardship also required shielding the company from fallout linked to his past associations. “Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply regret.”
Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role in recruiting underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein had earlier pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor and later died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Pritzker said he unequivocally condemned their actions, adding: “There is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner.”
Alongside his public statement, Pritzker sent a separate letter to the board noting that he will turn 76 this year and describing the company as being in a “strong and sustainable position,” well placed for continued growth. The letter made no reference to his past associations with Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell.
The board appointed Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt’s president and chief executive, as the new chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Hoplamazian said Pritzker’s move “reflects his stewardship and strong commitment” to the company after decades of leadership.
Pritzker is part of the prominent Chicago-based Pritzker family, long known for its vast business interests and political influence. He is among the clan’s 13 heirs to the family fortune. His father, Jay Pritzker, acquired the first Hyatt property in 1957 and gradually built it into a global hospitality enterprise.
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According to the Chicago Tribune, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Thomas Pritzker are cousins, though they have pursued careers in different arenas. Thomas Pritzker has focused on international corporate hospitality, while Governor Pritzker has built his career in public office and state governance.
Thomas Pritzker’s name had surfaced previously in connection with Epstein. In a 2016 deposition, Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre alleged that she had been forced to have sex with him. Thomas Pritzker has denied the allegation, the Chicago Tribune reported.
When Thomas Pritzker’s name first appeared in court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein in 2019, Governor Pritzker said he was “unaware if [Thomas Pritzker] knew Jeffrey Epstein at all. And, as you know, I did not.”
Pritzker now joins a growing list of prominent business leaders whose past connections to Jeffrey Epstein have come under renewed scrutiny as more material becomes public, offering a clearer view of the financier’s far-reaching network.
Earlier this month, Kathy Ruemmler, the top lawyer at Goldman Sachs, said she would step down after newly released Epstein-related emails indicated she had maintained a close relationship with the financier. Ruemmler has denied any knowledge of his criminal conduct.
In a separate development, Brad Karp resigned as chairman of Paul Weiss in February after emails reportedly showed he had discussed Epstein’s 2008 conviction directly with him. The firm has previously said that Karp “never witnessed or participated in any misconduct.”