Thomas J. Pritzker, the 75-year-old billionaire and long-time executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, announced his retirement from that role and decided not to seek re-election to the board at the 2026 annual stockholder meeting. He cited his “terrible judgement” in maintaining contact with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell long after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for sex crimes, as revealed in recently unsealed U.S. Justice Department files reported by The New York Times. In his statement, Pritzker expressed deep regret, saying there’s “no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner” and emphasizing his duty to protect Hyatt from the fallout.
This move follows a wave of high-profile resignations tied to Epstein’s vast network of elites, exposed in millions of newly released documents:
- Kathryn Ruemmler, Goldman Sachs’ chief legal counsel, resigned last week over her Epstein connections.
- Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, head of DP World (the world’s largest port operator), was replaced due to his close friendship with Epstein.
- Larry Summers, the economist, stepped down from OpenAI’s board late last year amid similar ties.
- Thorbjorn Jagland, former Norwegian Prime Minister, faces property searches in a corruption probe linked to Epstein.
- Peter Mandelson, former UK ambassador to the U.S. (appointed February 2025, removed September 2025), has been summoned for a U.S. House Oversight Committee interview by Reps. Robert Garcia and Suhas Subramanyam over his “extensive” Epstein ties. This has fueled calls for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign, with Starmer’s chief of staff and cabinet secretary also stepping down.
These developments highlight ongoing repercussions from Epstein’s 2019 death in prison and Maxwell’s conviction, with documents showing years of interactions among business, political, and cultural figures. No criminal charges have been announced against Pritzker or others mentioned, but the scandals underscore scrutiny on elite networks.
What aspect of this story interests you most—Hyatt’s potential business impact, the UK political fallout, or Epstein document releases?
