Thomas J Pritzker resigns as Hyatt Hotels Corporation chairman following Epstein revelations

Thomas J. Pritzker resigned as Hyatt chairman over past Epstein ties, calling it 'terrible judgement'

Billionaire Thomas J. Pritzker has stepped down as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, effective immediately, citing the controversy surrounding his past relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Pritzker, 75, also confirmed he will not seek re-election to Hyatt’s board at the company’s 2026 annual shareholder meeting, ending more than two decades in the leadership role he has held since 2004.

Recently released US Justice Department documents reportedly detail years of ongoing contact between Pritzker and Epstein following the financier’s 2008 conviction on sex crime charges. Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on additional sex trafficking charges.

In a letter to the board and in a public statement, Pritzker said: “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 judgement in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner.”

Pritzker is among several prominent business and political figures facing renewed scrutiny following the release of extensive records detailing Epstein’s network of global contacts.

Hyatt has not yet announced a permanent successor for the executive chairman role.