Tony Hsieh, the former chief executive officer of online shoe and clothing retailer Zappos and founder of DTP Companies, has died after a house fire in Connecticut. He was 46.
Hsieh's lawyer Puoy Premsrirut said Hsieh died after sustaining injuries in a Nov. 18 fire in New London, Connecticut while visiting relatives over Thanksgiving. It's not clear if anyone else was wounded. The ultimate cause of his death is still under investigation.
Hsieh -- who led the transformation of downtown Las Vegas in recent years -- has only recently retired after 20 years leading Zappos, which Amazon bought for over $1 billion in 2009.
Hsieh was a perceptive, intelligent, and kind-hearted person who, for many people, was a visionary and a generous soul.
"Delivering happiness was always his mantra, so instead of mourning his transition, we ask you to join us in celebrating his life," the Guardian quoted a statement as saying.
The world had lost a "tremendous visionary and incredible human being," Zappos said, as tributes poured out on social media as news of his death spread. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman told the Review-Journal that Hsieh's passing was "a tragic loss."
"Supporting his city and the people within it, Tony changed the landscape of downtown Las Vegas," hotelier Derek Stevens was quoted as commenting on Twitter.
Skateboard star Tony Hawk who also became an entrepreneurial investor, described Hsieh as "very cool" and "a true pioneer."
Kedar Deshpande, current chief executive officer of Zappos, said Hsieh's spirit would forever be a part of the company.
Hsieh wrote the book Delivering Happiness in 2010, which chronicled his philosophy of giving premium on customer and employee care. The book spent over half a year at the top of the New York Times bestsellers list.
Born in Illinois to Taiwanese parents, Hsieh was an internet trailblazer who developed a banner ad company in 1996 after graduating from Harvard University with a computer science degree. Soon after, Hsieh created and sold a website with his roommate and made $265 million.
For years, Hsieh worked to rejuvenate the Las Vegas strip, shelling out $350 million in 2013 for its redevelopment.
He moved Zappos' headquarters into the former Las Vegas City Hall building in the same year. His "Downtown Project" helped pump money into start-ups, tech, restaurants, entertainment, and other ventures.
Hsieh lived mainly in downtown Las Vegas and owned a country house in the Southern Highlands development south of the city that was very popular with Hollywood celebrities and athletes.
