CHICAGO — Thomas Pritzker, 75, stepped down Monday as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corp. and said he would not seek reelection to the company’s board at its annual meeting in May. In a letter to directors, Pritzker said his continued contact with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell reflected “terrible judgment,” and he was stepping aside to protect the company, Feb. 16, 2026.
Hyatt said in a corporate news release that President and CEO Mark S. Hoplamazian will assume the combined role of chairman of the board and chief executive officer, effective immediately. The company said Pritzker has served as executive chairman since August 2004 and began senior leadership responsibilities tied to predecessor entities in 1980, a tenure Hyatt credited with expanding its global brand presence and strengthening its asset-light business model.
In the letter released through Business Wire, Pritzker wrote, “I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner.” He told directors he will be 76 in June and said he plans to focus more on a science foundation and other family and philanthropic work.
Why Thomas Pritzker said his Epstein contact was “terrible judgment”
Thomas Pritzker’s decision followed a fresh round of scrutiny tied to the Justice Department’s release of millions of Epstein-related documents, adding to long-running questions about how prominent figures stayed connected to Epstein after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Reuters reported that Pritzker acknowledged maintaining contact with Epstein and Maxwell even after Epstein’s conviction, describing it as “terrible judgment.”
Epstein was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and died in custody later that year; authorities ruled his death a suicide. Maxwell, a longtime associate of Epstein, was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022, according to federal prosecutors in Manhattan.
Hyatt’s leadership transition after Thomas Pritzker steps aside
In announcing the change, Hyatt emphasized continuity in the top job. Hoplamazian has served as Hyatt’s CEO for nearly two decades, and the company said its board had engaged in succession planning before the move. Hoplamazian said he was “honored” by the board’s confidence and would stay focused on Hyatt’s strategy, growth and performance for owners and stockholders.
Hyatt, which is headquartered in Chicago, said its portfolio included more than 1,500 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 83 countries across six continents as of Dec. 31, 2025. With Hoplamazian now holding both the chairman and CEO roles, the company’s board will face questions about how it balances continuity with oversight as it turns the page from Thomas Pritzker’s chairmanship.
How Thomas Pritzker’s Epstein ties surfaced over time
While the leadership change surprised some in the hospitality industry, Thomas Pritzker’s name has appeared in Epstein-related reporting for years as courts and investigators released additional material into the public record.
- January 2024: In coverage of newly unsealed filings from a civil case connected to Epstein, Reuters reported that Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre mentioned Tom Pritzker in a deposition. A spokesperson said Thomas Pritzker “continues to vehemently deny” the allegation.
- January 2024: CBS Chicago’s reporting on the same unsealing noted that many people named in the documents were not accused of wrongdoing, but that Pritzker was among those mentioned in testimony and filings.
- November 2025: WBEZ reported that documents released by a congressional committee included at least 20 back-and-forth emails between Epstein and Thomas Pritzker from 2010 to early 2019, years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. The station also reported that Pritzker was not accused of wrongdoing in Epstein’s crimes and was not named in an investigation tied to them.
In a broader wave of fallout from the latest releases, other prominent figures have faced calls to step aside or explain past associations. The Guardian reported that the exit followed discussions with Hyatt’s board and that Hoplamazian was named his successor as chair effective immediately.
For Hyatt, the leadership change adds another governance test as the company works to reassure employees, owners, guests and shareholders that the transition away from Thomas Pritzker’s chairmanship is complete.
