Hyatt Chairman Pritzker leaves board over Epstein ties

Core Viewpoint - Thomas Pritzker, the executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corp., announced his immediate retirement and severed ties with Jeffrey Epstein, expressing regret over his past connections [2][4]. Group 1: Leadership Changes - Pritzker has held the position of executive chairman for over two decades and will not seek reelection to the board at the upcoming annual stockholder meeting [2]. - Following Pritzker's retirement, CEO Mark Hoplamazian has been appointed as the new chair of the board [6]. Group 2: Connections to Epstein - Pritzker acknowledged exercising "terrible judgment" in maintaining contact with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, condemning their actions and expressing sorrow for the harm caused to victims [4]. - Recent disclosures have revealed that Pritzker and Epstein exchanged friendly emails after Epstein's 2008 plea deal, although being part of the released documents does not imply wrongdoing [3]. Group 3: Industry Context - Pritzker's resignation is part of a broader trend of high-profile resignations linked to Epstein, with other business leaders like Kathryn Ruemmler and Brad Karp also stepping down due to their connections to him [5].