Tom Pritzker Steps Down as Hyatt Executive Chairman Over Epstein Links

Thomas J. Pritzker, 75, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, retired Monday as executive chairman of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation, effective immediately. In a letter to the company’s board he said he had “exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact” with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, adding 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 also said he would not seek re-election to the board at the annual meeting in May.

Recently released files show Mr. Pritzker was in regular contact with Mr. Epstein in the years after Epstein’s 2008 plea deal, with exchanges confirming meals and appointments, including at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse. In one 2018 exchange Mr. Epstein asked Mr.

Pritzker to help his girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, arrange a trip to Southeast Asia; Ms. Shuliak replied, “Going to try to find a new girlfriend for Jeffrey,” and Mr.

United States, Manhattan

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