Thomas Pritzker, executive chairman of the board of directors at Hyatt Hotels, announced that he will retire immediately and not seek reelection to the board, citing association with the late financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
In a Feb. 16 letter to the board of directors, Pritzker announced his plans to depart the organization after serving as executive chairman of Hyatt’s board since 2004, saying his “respect for good governance” led to the decision.
“My job and responsibility is to provide good stewardship,” Pritzker said in a Monday statement. “Good stewardship includes ensuring a proper transition at Hyatt.
“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.”
In 2024, Pritzker was named in unsealed court documents pertaining to Epstein’s sex crimes. Among the documents was a 2015 lawsuit in which the late Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims, claimed she had sex with Pritzker.
Newly released court documents show meetings and email correspondence between Pritzker and Epstein spanning multiple years, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian will succeed Pritzker as chairman of the board, the company announced in a Monday release.
“Tom’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping Hyatt’s strategy and long-term growth, and we thank him for his service and dedication to Hyatt,” Richard Tuttle, chair of the board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, said in the release. “The Board has engaged in thoughtful succession planning, and we are confident that Mark’s deep knowledge of Hyatt’s business, strong relationships with owners and colleagues, and proven track record as CEO of nearly two decades positions him well to serve as Chairman and continue driving Hyatt’s long-term success.”
Hyatt could not be reached for further comment.
