By John Keilman

Hotel magnate Thomas Pritzker is retiring as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels, saying he wanted to protect the company after new documents were released detailing the extent of his association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

"I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner," Pritzker said in a statement released Monday. "I condemn the actions and the harm caused by Epstein and Maxwell and I feel deep sorrow for the pain they inflicted on their victims."

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2023 that Pritzker was a frequent guest at Epstein's townhouse. Documents released recently by the Justice Department show meetings and email correspondence between Pritzker and Epstein spanning multiple years, including references to multiple meetings scheduled throughout 2018, as well as communication between Pritzker and Maxwell.

In one 2003 exchange between Maxwell and Pritzker, Maxwell detailed the expected guests at a dinner party and noted five models would be working as servers. Pritzker suggested having the invited guests act as servers, and the models be guests. "This would be far more fun," he wrote.

Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide by New York City's medical examiner. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping recruit and groom underage girls.

Pritzker is part of one of Chicago's most prominent families, whose members also include Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and former commerce secretary Penny Pritzker.

Pritzker, 75 years old, said in a memo to the Hyatt board that his departure would allow for a "proper handoff" at the company.

"Following discussions with my fellow Board members, I have decided, after serving as Executive Chairman since 2004, and with the company in a strong position, that now is the right time for me to retire from Hyatt," Pritzker wrote in a separate statement.

Hyatt's board named President and Chief Executive Mark Hoplamazian as its chairman, effective immediately.

Pritzker is keeping his leadership position at the Pritzker Organization, a family investment firm where he is executive chairman, his spokesman said.

Write to John Keilman at john.keilman@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 16, 2026 16:53 ET (21:53 GMT)

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