Yet another prominent civic figure is paying the price for their ties to convicted pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s cousin, Thomas Pritzker, who was serving as the executive chairman of Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels Corp., announced that he would be resigning from his position with the company.
Pritzker’s decision to step down comes months after recently released documents reveal he exchanged a total of 20 email messages with the now-deceased Epstein. The communications went back and forth for years, following the 2008 plea deal Epstein made concerning charges for sex crimes. As of this writing, Pritzker, 75, has not been officially accused of any wrongdoing, nor is he a part of any investigation into Epstein’s crimes.
“My job and responsibility is to provide good stewardship,” Pritzker went on to say in a news release concerning his decision to resign. “Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, which I deeply regret. I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner. 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.”
According to WBEZ, the emails discovered begin in 2010, which is just two short years after Epstein was convicted of soliciting sex from a minor as young as 14 years of age. They continue forward until the early part of 2019, which is when the disgraced billionaire pedophile was arrested for suspicion of child sex trafficking. Epstein allegedly died by suicide in his jail cell located in Manhattan.
A news release from Pritzker was published on February 16, 2026, informing the board of directors that he was retiring as an executive chairman. He also said that he would not be seeking re-election to the board at Hyatt’s yearly stockholders’ meeting in May. The Illinois governor’s cousin is also the executive chairman of The Pritzker Organization, which is an investment firm, along with being a member of the board of trustees of the University of Chicago.
In the letter to Hyatt’s board, Pritzker stated that he and his wife “are now in a phase of our lives where we are thinking about good stewardship and that includes structuring a proper handoff to the future.” He later added, “For 70 years, Hyatt has been part of our family’s identity and our family has been part of Hyatt’s identity. Good stewardship is very important to me personally.”
Pritzker has been on the Hyatt board of directors as an executive chairman since the summer of 2004. Hyatt’s president and chief executive, Mark Hoplamazian, will take over Pritzker’s role as chairman of the board immediately. Hoplamazian also wrote a press release that was published immediately following the news of Pritzker’s departure.
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“Tom’s decision reflects his stewardship and strong commitment to Hyatt over his many decades of service. Looking ahead, we remain focused on executing our strategy for long-term growth, advancing care for our colleagues, delivering meaningful experiences for our guests, and driving performance for owners and value for our stockholders,” the letter read.
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