Billionaire Thomas Pritzker, 75, has announced his immediate retirement as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation following revelations of his long-standing associations with convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The disclosures come from recently released US Justice Department files detailing Epstein’s extensive network.

Pritzker, who has served as Hyatt’s executive chairman since 2004, also confirmed that he will not seek re-election to the company’s board at its 2026 annual stockholder meeting.

Statement and Regret

In a letter to the Hyatt board, Pritzker expressed deep regret for maintaining contact with Epstein and Maxwell, calling it “terrible judgment” and acknowledging he should have distanced himself sooner.

“Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply ‌regret,” he said.
“I exercised terrible judgement in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner.”

Justice Department documents show that Pritzker had ongoing contact with Epstein for years after the financier’s 2008 conviction on sex crime charges, according to The New York Times.

Broader Impact and Fallout

Pritzker is among a growing list of high-profile figures facing consequences after the release of millions of pages revealing Epstein’s extensive influence over business, political, and cultural elites globally.

Other notable resignations and replacements linked to Epstein include:

• Kathryn Ruemmler, who stepped down last week.
• Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, replaced at the world’s largest port operator.
• Economist Larry Summers, who resigned from the OpenAI board late last year.

UK Diplomatic Controversy

The scandal has also reached the United Kingdom, with former UK ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson being asked to submit to a US congressional interview regarding his ties to Epstein.

Mandelson was removed from his post in September 2025 after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government cited new evidence about the depth of Mandelson’s connections to Epstein. The controversy has sparked calls for Starmer to step down, while his chief of staff and cabinet secretary have resigned over the matter.

This marks another chapter in the ongoing reckoning with Epstein’s network, highlighting how the late financier’s associations continue to impact global leaders and corporate figures.