Retired Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh dies aged 46 after suffering injuries in Connecticut house fire
‘Always challenging me to reject conformity’: Ivanka Trump leads the tributes to ex-Zappos CEO after his death aged 46 from injuries in a Connecticut mansion fire – months after he retired from firm he sold to Amazon for $1.2B
- Tony Hsieh joined Zappos – then called ShoeSite.com – back in 1999, when it was a small online shoe store
- He transformed the company into an internet giant, which was sold to Amazon for $1.2 billion
- Hsieh only stepped down as CEO of Zappos earlier this year; he had an estimated fortune of $840 million
- The businessman was known for his philanthropy and for fostering a positive workplace culture
- Despite his immense wealth, he was famous for living in a humble Airstream trailer in downtown Las Vegas
- Andrew Yang, Tony Hawk and Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak are among the names who have paid tribute to Hsieh
Ivanka Trump is leading tributes to Tony Hsieh, the high-profile former CEO of Zappos.com, who died Friday at the age of 46.
The businessman – who amassed a fortune of $840 million after building up the online shoe retailer – passed away from injuries he sustained during a house fire in New London, Connecticut on November 18.
The First Daughter was a longtime friend of Hsieh, and took to Twitter Saturday to share a series of photos taken with him from over the years.
‘Celebrating the life while mourning the loss of my dear friend Tony Hsieh, ‘ he wrote.
‘Tony was a deeply original thinker always challenging me to reject conformity & follow my heart. Tony was driven by the mission of delivering happiness & brought joy to all who knew him.’
Tony Hsieh, the high-profile former CEO of online shoe retailer Zappos.com, died Friday at the age of 46 from injuries he sustained in a house fire in Connecticut
The First Daughter was a longtime friend of Hsieh, and took to Twitter Saturday to share a series of photos taken with him from over the years
Trump and Hsieh are pictured outside The White House in an old social media snap, which was shared by the First Daughter on Saturday
Hseih is pictured with Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, clowning around inside a Las Vegas casino
Hsieh, who was born in Illinois and was the son of Taiwanese immigrants, studied at Harvard University before he joined Zappos – then called ShoeSite.com – in 1999.
As CEO, he helped transform the fledgling internet start-up into a billion-dollar business. Zappos was sold to Amazon for $1.2 billion in 2009, but Hsieh remained with the company until his retirement earlier this year.
While Hsieh became known for his business acumen, it was his philanthropy and his focus on fostering a positive workplace culture for which he is now being remembered.
For years, Hsieh worked to revitalize downtown Las Vegas, pledging $350 million in 2013 for redevelopment. The same year he moved Zappos’ headquarters into the former Las Vegas City Hall building.
‘Tony Hsieh played a pivotal role in helping transform Downtown Las Vegas,’ Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak tweeted Friday night.
‘Kathy and I send our love and condolences to Tony´s family and friends during this difficult time.’
Hsieh is pictured with former President Bill Clinton back in 2014
Hsieh is pictured in Las Vegas with Britney Spears in 2015, during her residency in Las Vegas. Hsieh was a prominent resident of the city, and helped to revitalize its downtown area
A wave of other tributes have also poured out on social media.
Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang posted Saturday morning: ‘I am stunned. Tony Hsieh touched so many lives and inspired so many entrepreneurs.
‘His impact and legacy will go on and on. I met his family in Las Vegas – and am thinking of them today. RIP Tony. You will be missed.’
Skateboarder and entrepreneur Tony Hawk added, ‘Tony Hsieh was a visionary. He was generous with his time and willing to share his invaluable expertise with anyone.’
‘A truly original thinker, a brilliant entrepreneur, and a kind-hearted and generous friend to so many,’ tweeted entrepreneur Max Levchin.
Dozens of big names, including Andrew Yang, Jimmy Kimmel and Tony Hawk, also paid tribute to the late businessman
Back in 2010, Hsieh published the best-seller book Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose, in which he asserted that happy employees made for a more successful business.
One quote from the book read: ‘Money alone isn’t enough to bring happiness . . . happiness is when you’re actually truly okay with losing everything you have.’
Hsieh is pictured with Barbara Walters back in 2010. He became well-known for his views on fostering a positive workplace culture, and penned a book about how happy employees are better for business
Despite his immense wealth, Hsieh was known for living in an Airstream trailer in downtown Las Vegas.
Back in 2014, he transformed a parking lot in the city into a ‘micro-living oasis’, made up of around 30 trailers. He also had two pet llamas which lived in the trailer park community with him.
As of 2020, he was still living in the tiny trailer.
Hsieh was not married and had no children.
Despite his immense wealth, Hsieh was known for living in an Airstream trailer in downtown Las Vegas
Inside the tiny trailer Hsieh lived in, despite his $840 million fortune
