Hyatt Hotels Heir Thomas Pritzker's Secret Epstein Business Deals Exposed in DOJ Files

For years, Thomas Pritzker has been known as the executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels and one of America's most prominent philanthropists. His family built a hotel empire. His net worth exceeds $4 billion.

The newly released DOJ files tell a very different story about his business partnerships.

Buried in the 3.5 million pages are financial records, emails, and flight logs revealing that Pritzker engaged in multiple real estate ventures with Jeffrey Epstein between 2008 and 2016—years after Epstein's conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.

"The Chicago property looks very promising. My people have run the numbers and we're looking at 40% returns if we move quickly."
— Jeffrey Epstein to Thomas Pritzker, March 2012

The "Tier 1 Partner" Status

Internal Epstein organization emails show Pritzker was designated as a "Tier 1 Partner" in Epstein's investment classification system—a status shared with only a handful of ultra-wealthy individuals. The relationship was built around high-yield real estate investments in Chicago, New York, and Palm Beach.

Lesley Groff, Epstein's longtime assistant who has been identified in court documents as helping coordinate Epstein's criminal activities, served as the primary point of contact for Pritzker-related business matters. Email records show she arranged at least 12 face-to-face meetings between the two men between 2010 and 2015.

$23 Million Through Shell Companies

Financial records in the DOJ files reveal the staggering scale of Pritzker's investments through Epstein:

The investments were structured through a complex web of offshore entities in the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands. The timing is damning—both major transfers occurred well after Epstein's criminal conviction was public knowledge.

Flying with Ghislaine Maxwell

Flight logs from Epstein's private jets reveal family trips that went far beyond business meetings:

Multiple trips list "T. Pritzker +2" and "T. Pritzker family" between 2011 and 2014. The specific family members are not identified in the released documents, but the pattern suggests this was not merely an arm's-length business relationship.

Leveraging Political Access

Perhaps most troubling is evidence that Epstein leveraged his relationship with Pritzker for political access in Chicago:

"Code Red" Reputation Risk

As Epstein's legal troubles intensified in 2019, internal emails show a flurry of activity around "managing the Chicago situation." Epstein's legal team was specifically concerned about protecting high-profile business partners like Pritzker from media scrutiny.

The released documents show that Epstein's team maintained detailed files on each business associate, including "reputation risk assessments." Pritzker's file was flagged as "Code Red" for potential media exposure risk.

The Pritzker family has built their reputation on philanthropy and social responsibility—values that appear difficult to reconcile with a years-long business partnership with a convicted sex offender who was facilitated by the same organizational structure that enabled his criminal activities.