Thomas Pritzker, the billionaire scion to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, who has served as executive chairman of the company board since 2004, resigned from the role effective immediately over his ties to disgraced fianancier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mark Hoplamazian, who has served as Hyatt’s president and CEO since 2006, succeeds Pritzker as chairman of the board, effective immediately. The Pritzker family has controlled Hyatt since the late 1950s when Thomas’ father, Jay, acquired the Hyatt House near Los Angeles International Airport.
In a letter to the Hyatt board, Pritzker wrote that “Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply regret.” He added that he “exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner.”
A press release from Hyatt made no mention of Pritzker’s relationship with Epstein and praised his stewarship of the company. “Tom’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping Hyatt’s strategy and long-term growth, and we thank him for his service and dedication to Hyatt,” said Richard Tuttle, chair of the board’s nominating and corporate governance committee. “The Board has engaged in thoughtful succession planning, and we are confident that Mark’s deep knowledge of Hyatt’s business, strong relationships with owners and colleagues and proven track record as CEO of nearly two decades positions him well to serve as chairman and continue driving Hyatt’s long-term success.”
“I have been a proud member of the Hyatt family since the beginning of Hyatt. As I said in my letter to the Board, it has been both an honor and one of the great experiences of my life to have contributed to Hyatt’s growth,” said Pritzker. “Hyatt is well positioned for the future, and I have great confidence in Mark, our leadership team and the board as they continue to build on our strong foundation.”
“Tom’s decision reflects his stewardship and strong commitment to Hyatt over his many decades of service. Looking ahead, we remain focused on executing our strategy for long-term growth,” said Hoplamazian.
A search of the Pritzker name in the Epstein files produces more than 7,000 results. In one 2011 email exchange, Epstein sends an email to Pritzker referring to a “gates dinner” he is attending, presumably Bill Gates, at the “Weston,” presumably Westin, which at the time was a brand under Starwood Hotels. Pritzker responds: “At least you misspelled it.”
In one instance, in a 2012 email, someone associated with booking Epstein’s travel reaches out to Nicholas Pritzker, a first cousin of Tom’s, to see if he can recommend a “great Hyatt” to stay in in San Francisco. Pritzker responds that at the time Hyatt didn’t have “a great Hyatt” in the city since the Grand Hyatt was under renovation. Instead, he recommends the St. Regis, Four Seasons or the Ritz-Carlton, in that order, before ending with, “Surprisingly, not great 5 star hotels in this town.”
In a succeeding email, Nicholas Pritzker writes: “Tell him as soon as the Grand is finished it will be his home in SF!”
The Wall Street Journal reported about Thomas Pritzker’s ties to Epstein in 2023. He was, according to a story, a frequent guest at Epstein’s townhouse in New York.
Pritzker is maintaining his leadership position at the Pritzker Organization, a family investment firm where he is executive chairman, a spokesman said.
