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Hotel magnate Thomas Pritzker has stepped down as executive chairman at Hyatt, after documents released by the US Justice Department revealed the extent of his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Hyatt said Monday that Pritzker would step down “effective immediately” and be replaced by Mark Hoplamazian, the hotel chain’s president and chief executive.
Pritzker’s exit came after documents revealed extensive email correspondence and references to meetings between the billionaire and Epstein spanning more than a decade until 2019.
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges of soliciting prostitution of a minor. He was arrested on federal child sex trafficking charges in 2019 and later died in prison.
“My job and responsibility is to provide good stewardship,” Pritzker said in a statement Monday.
“Good management means protecting Hyatt, especially in the context of my relationships with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, which I deeply regret. I made terrible decisions in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to recuse myself sooner.”
Pritzker, 75, had been executive chairman of Hyatt since 2004, having previously served as chairman and chief executive. The hotel group was founded by his father, Jay Pritzker.
Pritzker also corresponded with Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of trafficking minors for sex for Epstein and was later sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Pritzker’s departure marks the latest corporate fallout from the sweeping revelations of Epstein’s emails, which have reverberated globally.
Brad Karp resigned as chairman of US law firm Paul Weiss earlier this month following revelations about his ties to Epstein. Goldman Sachs general counsel Kathy Ruemmler also announced plans to resign last week after details emerged about her relationship with Epstein.
