Thomas Pritzker, the executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, has stepped down effective immediately due to his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Pritzker, 75, expressed deep regret over maintaining contact with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, describing it as “terrible judgement” with no excuse for not distancing himself sooner.
In a 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.”
Background
Newly released documents by the US Justice Department show that Pritzker had ongoing and regular contact with Epstein for years after the financier’s conviction on sex crime charges in 2008.
Authorities said Pritzker will not seek re-election to the company’s board at its 2026 annual stockholder meeting.
The ministry of justice files also revealed connections between Epstein and other high-profile figures, including former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland, whose properties were searched by Norwegian police as part of a corruption investigation.
International Response
Goldman Sachs chief legal counsel Kathryn Ruemmler resigned last week over her ties to Epstein, while economist Larry Summers resigned from the OpenAI board late last year.
Former United Kingdom ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, has been asked to submit himself for an interview and answer questions as part of a US congressional investigation into Epstein.
Officials confirmed that Mandelson was removed from his role in September 2025 after new information came to light showing the deeper nature of his ties with Epstein.
Source: Al Jazeera
