🏨 Hyatt Hotels said executive chairman Thomas (Tom) Pritzker has retired effective immediately and won’t stand for reelection to the company’s board at its 2026 annual meeting, after renewed scrutiny of his past association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell 2315. In statements released alongside the announcement, Pritzker said he regretted staying in contact and called it poor judgment 315.
The board named President and CEO Mark Hoplamazian as chairman, presenting the move as a leadership handoff while the company continues under its current management team 3. The shift is another reminder that reputational risk and modern governance expectations can drive quick changes at the top—especially when old relationships resurface in public records 23.
Sources
- Thomas Pritzker steps down as Hyatt executive chair over Epstein ties [ft.com] (2026-02-16)
- Hyatt’s Tom Pritzker Announces Retirement Citing Epstein Ties [bloomberg.com] (2026-02-16)
- Billionaire Hyatt chair Thomas Pritzker steps down after Epstein fallout [businessinsider.com] (2026-02-17)
- Thomas Pritzker steps down as Hyatt executive chair over Epstein ties - Financial Times [google.com] (2026-02-16)
- Hyatt Hotels chairman steps down over Jeffrey Epstein ties [bbc.com] (2026-02-17)
Highlights
- Tenure detail: Pritzker, 75, has served as Hyatt’s executive chairman since 2004 31.
- Letter framing: In a letter to the board, Pritzker said “good stewardship” includes protecting Hyatt “particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.” He added that he “deeply regret[s]” maintaining contact and that “there is no excuse” 3.
- Board-term detail: He said that running for reelection at the 2026 annual meeting would have meant committing to another three-year term as a director 3.
- Succession structure: Hyatt appointed CEO Mark Hoplamazian as chairman effective immediately, combining the chair and CEO roles 3.
Perspectives
Thomas Pritzker: He said he “deeply regret[s]” the association and argued that stepping aside was part of “good stewardship” to protect Hyatt; he also pointed out that reelection would have meant another three-year board term 3.
Financial Times: The outlet framed the retirement as a governance response to reputational exposure, emphasizing that Pritzker himself described maintaining contact with Epstein as indefensible 1.
Historical Background
Jeffrey Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while facing sex-trafficking charges. Since then, periodic releases of Epstein-related documents have continued to renew scrutiny of people who had ties to him 3[common].