Thomas Pritzker
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Thomas Pritzker, born June 6th, 1950, is an American billionaire heir and businessman. A key figure in the Pritzker family, he previously held the esteemed roles of chairman and chief executive officer of The Pritzker Organization, the entity that expertly manages the family's diverse business assets. Beyond that, Pritzker also served as the executive chairman of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Born into the influential Pritzker family, Thomas's father, Jay Pritzker, was instrumental in building the renowned Hyatt Hotels chain. Thomas himself received a distinguished education, earning both a J.D. and an M.B.A. in 1976 from the University of Chicago, following his B.A. from Claremont Men's College in 1971. His heritage traces back to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, Annie P. and Nicholas J. Pritzker, and his maternal grandfather was the notable athlete and judge, Hugo Friend.
Pritzker's career trajectory within Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt Hotels Corporation saw him ascend through various critical positions. From 1977 to 1980, he joined Hyatt Corporation while also contributing his legal expertise at the Pritzker & Pritzker law firm. He then served as Hyatt Corporation President from 1980 to 1999, before becoming its Chair and CEO from 1999 to December 2006. Simultaneously, from August 2004 to December 2006, he held the CEO position at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and was its Executive Chairman and a board member until February 2026. Pritzker's tenure as Executive Chairman concluded on February 16, 2026, a decision stemming from his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
His extensive business acumen also led him to serve as a director for Royal Caribbean Cruises until 2020 and TransUnion until 2010. He is the visionary founder and chairman of North America Western Asia Holdings LLC, an investment and advisory firm focused on Iraqi companies and regional business ventures. Furthermore, Pritzker has lent his leadership to the Art Institute of Chicago and the Center for Strategic and International Studies as their past chair. He is an active member of influential bodies like the Council on Foreign Relations and the Aspen Strategy Group, and was instrumental in organizing the Pritzker Neuropsychiatric Disorders Research Consortium.
In the years following Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 plea deal for sex crimes, Pritzker maintained regular contact with him. Pritzker was named in a deposition filed under oath by Virginia Giuffre, who testified to being sexually abused by him as part of her experience being sexually trafficked through the Epstein network. A spokesperson for Pritzker has stated that he "continues to vehemently deny" this allegation. Later, released Epstein files revealed frequent email exchanges, including one from 2018 where Pritzker assisted Epstein's partner, Karyna Shuliak, in planning a trip to Southeast Asia with the explicit aim of finding females for Epstein.
Thomas Pritzker is married to Margot Marshall, and together they have three sons. He has been recognized with an honorary doctorate from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.
Thomas Pritzker (born June 6, 1950) is an American billionaire heir and businessman. A member of the Pritzker family, he is the former chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Pritzker Organization (TPO), which manages the various Pritzker family business assets. Pritzker is also the former executive chairman of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
== Early life ==
Thomas Pritzker was born on June 6, 1950 to the Pritzker family, son of Jay Pritzker (1922–99) and his wife, Marian Friend. Thomas' great grandparents were Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, Annie P. (née Cohn) and Nicholas J. Pritzker. His maternal grandfather was the athlete and judge Hugo Friend.
He received a J.D. and a M.B.A. in 1976 from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. in 1971 from Claremont Men's College.
== Career ==
Pritzker's father built the chain of Hyatt Hotels. Over the years, Thomas Pritzker held several positions with Hyatt Corporation (the private operating company) and Hyatt Hotels Corporation (the publicly traded holding company that was created when Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt International merged):
1977–1980: Joined Hyatt Corporation and also worked at the Pritzker & Pritzker law firm
1980–1999: Hyatt Corporation President
1999–Dec. 2006: Hyatt Corporation Chair and CEO
August 2004–December 2006: Hyatt Hotels Corporation CEO
August 2004–February 2026: Hyatt Hotels Corporation board member and Executive Chair
Pritzker resigned from his position as Executive Chairman on February 16, 2026, the result of his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.
He also served as a director of Royal Caribbean Cruises until 2020 and of TransUnion until 2010. He is the founder and chairman of North America Western Asia Holdings LLC (NAWAH), an investment and advisory firm seeking to invest in Iraqi companies while advising clients looking to do business in the region.
He is the past chair of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Aspen Strategy Group. He organized the Pritzker Neuropsychiatric Disorders Research Consortium.
== Involvement with Jeffrey Epstein ==
Pritzker was in regular contact with Jeffrey Epstein in the years following Mr. Epstein’s 2008 plea deal on sex crimes charges.
He was named in a deposition filed under oath by Virginia Giuffre related to her being sexually trafficked through the Epstein network. She testified in the deposition that she once was sexually abused by Pritzker. A spokesperson for Pritzker told Reuters that Pritzker "continues to vehemently deny" the allegation.
Later, the released Epstein files showed frequent email exchanges, including one from 2018 in which he helped Epstein's partner Karyna Shuliak plan a trip to Southeast Asia, with the expressed goal of finding females for Epstein.
== Personal life ==
He is married to Margot Marshall. They have three sons.
He holds an honorary doctorate from Tsinghua University in Haidian, Beijing, China.
== References ==
== External links ==
Appearances on C-SPAN
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