The tech community at large is mourning the loss of Tony Hsieh, an Internet entrepreneur who was known for pioneering a new work culture at Zappos, a billion-dollar online shoe and clothing company later acquired by Amazon, where he served as CEO for over 20 years.
On Friday, two weeks before turning 47, Hsieh died from complications from burns and smoke inhalation sustained in a house fire that had occurred days earlier.
Tony Hsieh was a beloved character, he wrote a book titled "Delivering Happiness," a widely recommended read where he describes how he built a different work culture at Zappos that took into the equation everyone involved at the company, from customers and suppliers, to employees. Most recently, Hsieh was involved a major re-development and revitalization project of downtown Las Vegas.
Tony Hsieh might be the most original thinker I’ve ever been friends with. He questioned every assumption and shared everything he learned along the way. He genuinely delighted in making anyone and everyone happy. The earth has lost a beautifully weird and helpful person. RIP
— Chris Sacca 🇺🇸 (@sacca) November 28, 2020
Tony Hsieh, my partner and cofounder of LinkExchange, has died. Tony, I miss you. ❤️ You were among the most creative people I’ve known. I’ll remember your unique combo of genius and mischief, and your infuriating ability to bet against all odds and win. https://t.co/rI9unaHWDW
— Ali Partovi (@apartovi) November 28, 2020
I’m devastated. Tony helped so many, generous and loving. He single handedly helped my sister build her business on Zappos, lifting her up as a single mom entrepreneur. I will miss you greatly brother, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, love you.... RIP 💔 https://t.co/FlG8UgWwCI
— Kevin Rose 🙏🏻 (@kevinrose) November 28, 2020
One year while I was visiting my sister in Las Vegas, Tony brought his personal tour bus to her house and drove us all around the city just because he heard we were in town. He truly cared about everyone. The world needs more people and leaders like Tony Hsieh. Rest In Peace. https://t.co/BbGuDoxNxT
— Andrew Colbert (@AColbert_24) November 28, 2020
"When one teacher assigned him [Tony Hsieh] to write a sonnet, he decided the iambic pentameter form was too complicated and instead wrote 14 lines in Morse code. The teacher gave him an A+."https://t.co/NfM2pdjxvT by @JamesRHagerty
— Great Quarter (@greatquarter) November 29, 2020
"Mr. Hsieh refused to embrace the trappings of a conventional chief executive. He lived in a 240-square-foot Airstream trailer in a small trailer park that he built in downtown Las Vegas. He insisted on a $36,000 annual salary and he sat in a cubicle among the other employees." https://t.co/MrO5bv7SRC
— Ellen Chang (@EllenYChang) November 28, 2020
Celebrating the life while mourning the loss of my dear friend Tony Hsieh. 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. Rest In Peace Tony pic.twitter.com/Nd5o6U7wV9
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) November 28, 2020
It is with very heavy hearts that we are sharing some very sad news, as we have learned that Tony passed away earlier today (11-27-20). The world has lost a tremendous visionary and an incredible human being. We recognize that...https://t.co/RUMNOFrItZ pic.twitter.com/NSAFGW8p4L
— Zappos.com (@Zappos) November 28, 2020
"He was always such singular character, I was looking forward to seeing him grow old and his eccentricities continue to ferment and evolve," @photomatt https://t.co/VmZr4NGcMA
— OM (@om) November 28, 2020