Hyatt Executive Steps Down, Expresses Deep Regret Over Epstein Connection

Hyatt announced in a statement that Thomas Pritzker will step down from his position as executive chairman of the board.

The executive chairman of the Hyatt hotel chain stepped down on Monday after emails surfaced revealing his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

US businessman Thomas Pritzker maintained contact with Epstein even after he was convicted in 2008 of soliciting the prostitution of a minor.

Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking of girls, in what was believed to be a suicide.

In a statement published in US media, Pritzker said, “Good care means protecting Hyatt, especially with regard to my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, which I deeply regret.”

Maxwell, an associate of Epstein, is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in a conspiracy to traffic girls with the disgraced financier. Hyatt, in a statement—without mentioning Epstein—said that Pritzker would retire from his position as executive chairman of the board of directors and would not seek re-election to the board at the company’s shareholders meeting in May.

US media reported a 2018 email exchange in which Epstein asked Pritzker to help secure a reservation for a woman traveling in Asia.

The woman told Pritzker she would “try to find a new girlfriend for Jeffrey,” to which Pritzker replied, “May the Force be with you.”

Epstein files released by the US government, including a trove of his email conversations, have revealed his relationships with wealthy and powerful people around the world.

Several people have resigned from their positions in the scandal and have been tainted by their association with Epstein, even though the files do not prove they committed any crimes.

Pritzker is a cousin of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.