- Thomas Pritzker resigned as Hyatt Hotels executive chairman after Epstein ties surfaced
- Pritzker's name appeared 5,029 times in the Jeffrey Epstein email files
- The Pritzker Architecture Prize was established by the family in 1979 through Hyatt Foundation
Thomas Pritzker, the longtime executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation and a member of one of America's most influential business families, stepped down on Monday after emails revealing his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light.
According to reports by the J Mail and The Economist, Pritzker's name appeared 5,029 times in the Epstein files. His name is one of the most mentioned names in the files. We reviewed a tranche of those emails and found that many were exchanges involving Ghislaine Maxwell, often asking Pritzker to meet for dinners or discussing social plans.
Pritzker also announced that he would not seek re-election to the board at the company's annual stockholder meeting. The 75-year-old billionaire said in a statement released by the Pritzker Organization that his priority was "good stewardship", including "ensuring a proper transition at Hyatt".
"I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner," he said, expressing regret over his connection to Epstein and Maxwell. He added that he condemned their actions and felt deep sorrow for the pain caused to victims.
Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges related to soliciting prostitution, including one involving a minor, died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal child sex trafficking charges.
Hyatt's board named chief executive Mark Hoplamazian as chair with immediate effect. In a press release, board member Richard Tuttle thanked Pritzker for his decades of leadership, calling him instrumental in shaping the Chicago-based hotel group's strategy. Following his retirement, Pritzker said he would focus on a science foundation he founded.
The development places renewed scrutiny on a family name that extends far beyond hotels and into the world of architecture's most prestigious accolade.
The Pritzker Architecture Prize
Established in 1979 by Jay and Cindy Pritzker through the Hyatt Foundation, the Pritzker Architecture Prize is widely regarded as architecture's equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
The prize carries a grant of USD 1,00,000 (INR 90 Lakh) and a bronze medallion.
Awarded annually to a living architect whose built work demonstrates talent, vision and commitment, it has become the profession's ultimate recognition.
The prize carries a grant of USD 1,00,000 (INR 90 Lakh) and a bronze medallion. Past laureates include some of the most influential architects of the modern era, and the award has shaped global conversations about design, sustainability and the social role of architecture.
The Pritzker family's connection to the prize is central. The award was conceived as a way to honour architectural excellence on a global scale, reflecting the family's longstanding interest in culture and civic engagement. Though the Hyatt hotel empire made the Pritzker name synonymous with hospitality, the architecture prize embedded it firmly within the creative world.
India, too, has a place in that history. In 2018, Indian architect Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, widely became the first Indian to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize. The jury cited his profound influence on Indian architecture and urban planning, as well as his commitment to affordable housing and human-centred design.
Now, as Thomas Pritzker exits Hyatt amid the fallout from the Epstein disclosures, attention has turned once again to the broader Pritzker legacy. While the architecture prize operates independently and honours architects rather than patrons, the family name remains inseparable from its identity.