Tom Pritzker steps down as Hyatt’s executive chair
Thomas J. Pritzker, billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, resigned as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Monday, becoming the latest person felled by an association with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Pritzker, 75, cousin of Illinois Gov. JB Prtizker, said in a letter to Hyatt’s board that he was retiring, effective immediately, adding: “Good management also means protecting Hyatt, especially in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, which I deeply regret.” »
Tom Pritzker, cousin of Governor JB Pritzker, named in latest version of Epstein documents
He added that he “showed terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for not distancing myself sooner.”
Newly released files revealed that Pritzker was in regular contact with Epstein in the years following Epstein’s 2008 plea deal to sex crime charges, with the two corresponding frequently to confirm meals and appointments, including at Epstein’s New York townhouse.
In a 2018 email exchange, Epstein asked Pritzker to help his girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, plan a trip to Southeast Asia. Pritzker agreed and asked her what she planned to do there.
Shuliak replied: “I’m going to try to find a new girlfriend for Jeffrey. »
Pritzker responded with a smiley emoticon and said “May the Force be with you.”
In another exchange, from 2015, as the two men were making arrangements to meet, Epstein joked with Pritzker about combining their projects: “Would you find it funny if Dali Lama met Woody Allen for lunch on Saturday = that could be a memorable event.” »
The two men also discussed invitations to the Pritzker Prize ceremony – a major international architecture prize – in Beijing.
A representative for the Pritzker organization did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
In addition to stepping down as chairman, Pritzker said he would not seek re-election to Hyatt’s board of directors at the annual shareholder meeting in May. The board of directors named Hyatt Chairman Mark S. Hoplamazian as president.
“Tom’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping Hyatt’s long-term strategy and growth, and we thank him for his service and dedication to Hyatt,” Richard Tuttle, chairman of the board’s nominating and corporate governance committee, said in a statement.
This article was originally published in the New York Times.
