A startling leadership shake-up is underway after Hyatt’s long-time Executive Chairman stepped down following the release of emails that tied him Jeffrey Epstein.
Hyatt Chairman Steps Down Over Epstein Files As Remarkable Email Exchanges Surface
Thomas J. “Tom” Pritzker, the billionaire Executive Chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation and cousin to J.D. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, has announced his immediate “retirement” from that role and that he will not stand for re-election to the board at the company’s 2026 annual meeting. The announcement comes amid heightened scrutiny after the U.S. Justice Department released a new tranche of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and Pritzker’s name appeared repeatedly in communications.
Hyatt never mentioned the Epstein Files in its press release, insinuating that 75-year-old Pritzker is “retiring” from his role. The official press release contains this statement from Pritzker:
“I have been a proud member of the Hyatt family since the beginning of Hyatt. As I said in my letter to the Board, it has been both an honor and one of the great experiences of my life to have contributed to Hyatt’s growth. Hyatt is well positioned for the future, and I have great confidence in Mark, our leadership team, and the Board as they continue to build on our strong foundation.”
Hyatt’s President and CEO Mark Hoplamazian is now the Chairman of the Board.
But in a separate letter to the Hyatt board, Pritzker acknowledged his past relationship with Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, saying:
“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.”
Pritzker has led Hyatt for more than two decades, overseeing its initial public offering and global expansion. His resignation marks a significant leadership shift for the hospitality giant.
So What Did Pritzker Write?
Behind the public statement is a striking set of email exchanges that have drawn fresh attention. In one of the newly released messages from April 2018, Epstein wrote to Pritzker asking for help booking hotels for a woman in his inner circle named Karyna Shuliak:
“karyna is going on an Asian exploration first to bali and then kuaa lumpur and tokyo., can you help her the last two places. ?” (sic)
Pritzker’s initial reply was fairly shocking:
“Yes. I can go with her 🙂 Happy to help, what can I do?”
Subsequent messages showed Pritzker following up with direct questions, asking the same person:
“What are you going to do there?”
The response attributed to Epstein’s associate was equally candid, saying she planned to:
“Going to try to find a new girlfriend for Jeffrey”
Pritzker’s final reply in that exchange again uses an emoticon and raises eyebrows:
🙂 May the Force be with you. tjp
You can read the original email chain here, which includes Pritzker directing his assistant to book hotels for Shuliak.
My Thoughts
It’s amazing to me how far and wide the Epstein Files reach. Like Ben from One Mile At A Time, at one level it is shocking that “in the case of everything we’re learning about the Epstein files, most of these guys had money and power, so that left sex — their clouded moral judgment is just beyond comprehension. I don’t understand the lack of ethics, because if it were their daughters that were the victims in all of this, I’m sure they’d all feel very differently.”
But I guess unlike One Mile At A Time, I’m not all surprised that Epstein would ask for this favor. Ben asks, “Also, wasn’t Epstein fairly well off? Like, he really needed to reach out to his billionaire buddy to have a hotel in Kuala Lumpur that maybe retails for $150 per night covered? Don’t these people have better things to do? ”
Yes, because that is what rich people do. I work with rich people all day long and that is their modus operandi. You use your social capital to live more frugally than many middle class folks do, by trading favors, from big to small. It’s true that even a suite in Hyatt’s best Tokyo hotels are hardly a “problem” for a wealthy person, but that’s not the point.
Rich people, as I view them, like to game the system to their advantage as much as miles and points people do. Not only does this perpetuate wealth, but it acts as a gatekeeper to keep others out since favors are somewhat inherently capacity controlled. Most rich people I know like to help themselves, not others…you also don’t get rich by spending your own money.
I guess I don’t see the “creepy” factor quite like Ben does. Karyna Shuliak was born in 1989, making her 29 when these requests were made…hardly an underage girl. It seems she knew exactly what she was doing and it’s hard to fault her…or feel sorry for her.
It’s interesting that Pritzker steps down for this favor. Can you imagine if the email instead said, “Of course he knew about the girls” or “this is a good one, right?”
And may every day be another wonderful secret…
CONCLUSION
Pritzker’s resignation underscores how the latest disclosures connected to Jeffrey Epstein continue to reverberate through the upper echelons of the rich and famous, including corporate leadership. Previously private communications between powerful figures are being made public, and accountability is following; a small win for justice. In this case, that reckoning has arrived at the Hyatt boardroom.
And Trump was mentioned, what, 38000 times in the Epstein files, but hey he can just continue saying it’s a hoax……
Continue saying what’s a hoax?
No not all wealthy people are morally bankrupt, but there might be a theme here about being mesmerized by Epstein and succumbing acceptance of loose values. Pritzker seems to fall into the belief that hanging with pigs doesn’t make you dirty.
I feel badly for Norway. Also wonder if this is why trump thought he could bully his way to the Nobel prize. How much did trump know?
The mystery to me is why he stepped down. At least in the US, for the most part the elite have decided to simply brazen it out. And so far it seems to be working for them.
There needs to be greater accountability. A few higher-ups resigning is a good start but next to nothing, when the main character here really is Trump. Unless and until he is held accountable for his apparent and widespread involvement with Epstein, this is not over.
Agreed. Every alleged victim’s full name and address should be revealed. Furthermore, if any alleged victim is unhappy, they can file charges with their local county district attorneys office. But, strangely, they don’t want to do that. I wonder why.
> “Also, wasn’t Epstein fairly well off? Like, he really needed to reach out to his billionaire buddy to have a hotel in Kuala Lumpur that maybe retails for $150 per night covered? Don’t these people have better things to do? ”
Given that absurdity my read is that Pritzker was more than giving Shuliak a free room. He was flagging her as a VIP whose activities should be tolerated and probably also making the connections for the concierge or whomever to procure what she needed- i.e. facilitating the trafficking of girls. That, and or Pritzker was facilitating this as payback for other “services” he received from Epstein without making a financial paper trail.
>Can you imagine if the email instead said, “Of course he knew about the girls” or “this is a good one, right?”
Well yes, and the fact that only some people are dumb enough to put incredibly incriminating details in writing should make you think twice about what anyone doing anything odd with Epstein really was doing.
We’re not running a jury here trying to convict someone only if we’re 99% confident they’ve committed a crime. Smell test here says anyone casually handing Jeffrey free rooms to help someone “find him a girlfriend” stinks, and pee-you does it ever.
You don’t see the creepy factor in someone travelling to south east Asia to find a new and most likely underaged girlfriend for Jeffrey?
Or a billionaire saying “I can go with her”.
Very Christian values or is going to church just performative
I guess I don’t find it “creepy” because that’s what old rich men do. There’s no unease and often two willing parties…but it is certainly disgusting in many ways.
Am I misunderstanding something or are you seriously saying we’ve normalized old rich men sending agents to scout for and recruit UNDERAGE girlfriends?!
Where does the email say underage girls? That’s not how I read it. His GF at the time was my age…hardly underage.
And yes, I worked on Capitol Hill and in the White House and oh yes, I am absolutely jaded because of it.
I’m amused by how many times I’ve heard these sad, rich men talk about how much they “deeply regret” their association with Epstein. I mean, cats out of the bag, so I’m sure there’s deep regret. Doesn’t explain or excuse their close friendships before sh!t hit the fan.