By Illinois Review
The sudden retirement of Thomas J. Pritzker as Executive Chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation is raising a serious question for Illinois taxpayers: will Gov. JB Pritzker step up to support victims of human trafficking and sexual assault as new scrutiny surrounds his family’s business empire?
Hyatt announced on February 16, 2026, that Thomas Pritzker, 75, is retiring effective immediately. He will not seek re-election to the company’s Board of Directors at its annual shareholders meeting in May.
Thomas has served as Executive Chairman since 2004, with leadership roles in the Pritzker family’s hotel empire dating back decades.
But the timing of his departure cannot be ignored. His retirement follows the release of additional Department of Justice and congressional documents detailing his long-term personal friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Records show Thomas Pritzker and Epstein remained in friendly contact from at least 2010 through early 2019 – years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for procuring a minor for prostitution was public knowledge.
In one exchange shortly before Epstein’s 2019 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges, Pritzker reportedly responded to Epstein’s inquiry about “news” by writing, “You are news!” Epstein, in turn, referred to Pritzker as “like family.” The communications included invitations to dinners, social gatherings, and ongoing correspondence.
Thomas Pritzker has not been charged with any crime related to Epstein’s trafficking network.
Still, Epstein’s network exposed a web of powerful individuals who continued relationships with him long after his criminal past was known. For many Americans, that alone raises moral concerns.
That reality now places Gov. JB Pritzker in an uncomfortable spotlight. As heir to the Hyatt fortune and beneficiary of the Pritzker family empire, the governor has often highlighted his wealth and philanthropy.
Leadership is not merely about avoiding legal trouble. It is about moral clarity – especially when innocent lives have been shattered by trafficking and exploitation.
Human trafficking and sexual exploitation devastate lives, especially those of young girls and vulnerable children. Illinois is not immune. Survivor services – including trauma counseling, emergency housing, legal aid, and long-term recovery programs – remain stretched thin. Law enforcement officers across the state continue to confront trafficking cases that rarely make headlines.
The Pritzker family name is synonymous with Hyatt. Hyatt properties have benefited from substantial Illinois taxpayer support over the years — making this more than just a private family matter.
A clear, well-funded initiative dedicated to supporting survivors of human trafficking and sexual assault would send a strong message. It would show that protecting victims matters more than protecting reputations.
Such a fund would not be an admission of wrongdoing. It would be a statement that innocent victims come first.
Thomas Pritzker’s departure closes a long chapter in Hyatt’s history, and Illinois voters will be watching to see whether Gov. Pritzker chooses silence — or leadership on behalf of trafficking survivors.
