Thomas Pritzker steps down from Hyatt board saying he deeply regrets association with Epstein

Hotel magnate Thomas Pritzker will retire as the executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels after details of his affiliation with Jeffrey Epstein were revealed in documents related to the burgeoning investigation of ties between the notorious sex trafficker and the elite and powerful. 

Pritzker, in a prepared statement, said he deeply regrets his association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, a long time associate of Epstein.

"I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner," Pritzker said in a statement. "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." 

There are many emails between Pritzker and Epstein included in a cache of  Epstein-related documents recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice , with several detailing attempts for dinner meet ups and invitations to various functions.

Epstein died by suicide while incarcerated in 2019 after he was charged with sex trafficking.

Pritzker, who is the cousin of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, served as executive chairman of Hyatt for more than 20 years.

His retirement is effective immediately. Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian will succeed Pritzker as chairman. 

Pritzker, 75, also will not stand for re-election to Hyatt's board at its annual shareholders meeting.

Hyatt, was founded in 1957, has more than 1,500 hotels and all-inclusive resorts across more than 83 countries. 
Revelations of ties to Epstein have led to the  departure, or ousting of multiple high-profile individuals.  
Dubai announced last week that it was replacing the chairman of one of the world's largest logistics companies,  DP World , because of his ties to Epstein. 

Also last week, Kathy Ruemmler, the top lawyer at storied investment bank Goldman Sachs and former White House counsel to President Barack Obama, announced her resignation after  emails between her and Jeffrey Epstein showed a close relationship where she described him as an "older brother" and downplayed his sex crimes. 

Brad Karp resigned as chairman of one of the most  prestigious U.S. law firms earlier this month, saying news coverage of his exchanges with Epstein had "created a distraction."

Karp had served as chairman of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison since 2008. The New York firm has advanced the cause of civil rights, handled the legal affairs of corporate power brokers and grown into a multibillion-dollar global enterprise.

Late last year, King Charles III stripped his brother, formerly Prince Andrew, of all his titles and honors, for his relationship with Epstein. This month, he said that he is ready to "support" UK police examining claims that his brother gave confidential information to Epstein.