Hyatt’s Thomas Pritzker steps down as Epstein documents widen fallout among global elites

Thomas J Pritzker is relinquishing his role as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels and will not stand for re-election to the board, becoming the latest high-profile figure to face consequences after the release of extensive US Justice Department files detailing Jeffrey Epstein’s network.

In a letter to the company’s board, Pritzker, 75, framed the decision as an effort to shield the hotel group from the reputational damage tied to his past associations. “Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply regret,” he said.

“I exercised terrible judgement in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner.”

The newly disclosed documents indicate that his contact with Epstein continued for years after the financier’s 2008 conviction on sex crime charges, according to reporting by The New York Times. That timeline has become a key factor in the current wave of resignations, shifting the focus from whether individuals knew Epstein to how long they remained connected after his criminal record was established.

Pritzker’s departure extends a chain reaction that is moving across business, finance and politics. Goldman Sachs’ chief legal counsel Kathryn Ruemmler stepped down last week, while the head of DP World, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, was replaced following scrutiny of his relationship with Epstein. Economist Larry Summers left the OpenAI board late last year under similar pressure.

The repercussions have also reached into government. Former UK ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson was removed from his post after new details about his ties to Epstein emerged, prompting a congressional request that he submit to a transcribed interview. The controversy has fed directly into domestic British politics, with criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s judgement in making the appointment and the subsequent resignations of his chief of staff and cabinet secretary.

In Norway, police have searched properties linked to former prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland as part of a corruption inquiry connected to Epstein, illustrating the geographic spread of the fallout.