Hyatt Chairman Pritzker Retires Over Epstein Links

Thomas Pritzker, the longtime executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, announced his immediate retirement on Monday, stepping down amid revelations of his past associations with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in recently released U.S. Department of Justice documents.

Pritzker, 75, who has held the position since 2004, cited his connections to Epstein, the financier convicted of sex trafficking who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019, and Maxwell, his associate convicted in 2021 of related charges, as the reason for his departure. In a statement to the Hyatt board and the public, Pritzker expressed profound regret. "I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner," he said. He added, "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." Pritzker also stated that good stewardship required him to protect the company from the fallout of his associations, and he will not seek reelection to Hyatt's board at the 2026 annual shareholders meeting.

The documents, part of a larger release detailing Epstein's...