Hyatt Hotels boss Thomas J. Pritzker abruptly stepped down as executive chairman on Monday, citing his regrettable ties to disgraced financier and accused sex traffickerJeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
The 75-year-old billionaire, who has helmed the luxury hotel empire since 2004, announced his immediate resignation in a letter to the board, stating he would not seek reelection at the 2026 shareholder meeting.
"Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply regret. I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner. I condemn the actions and the harm caused by Epstein and Maxwell and I feel deep sorrow for the pain they inflicted on their victims," he said in a statement.
Pritzker's departure marks a dramatic turn for the Chicago-based hospitality giant after he successfully navigated Hyatt through the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw its transformation into an asset-light operation. During his two-decade tenure, he took the company public and expanded its portfolio considerably.
Pritzker, cousin of Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) was among the names of more than 100 people tied to Epstein in documents made public in early 2024.
In a deposition, Virginia Giuffre named Thomas Pritzker one of several men she was trafficked to, according to CBS News. Giuffre was one of Epstein's most prominent accusers. A spokesperson for Pritzker told Reuters at the time that Pritzker "continues to vehemently deny" the allegation.
In November, emails released by the House Oversight Committee showed Epstein referring to Pritzker as being “like family” in a message to an unnamed recipient. Other messages showed Epstein regularly making arrangements with Pritzker.
In one email Epstein told Pritzker, “nice to see you , please come more often,” with Pritzker responding, “Always fun," Forbes reported at the time.