Tony Hsieh, former Zappos CEO and ‘tremendous visionary,’ dies at 46

Tony Hsieh, the former CEO of Zappos, died peacefully and surrounded by family on Friday, according to a statement emailed to CNN by Megan Fazio, a spokesperson for DTP Companies, a Las Vegas-based enterprise for which Hsieh served as the visionary. Hsieh, 46, died from injuries sustained in a house fire that occurred in Connecticut while he was visiting family, according to Fazio. “Tony’s kindness and generosity touched the lives of everyone around him, and forever brightened the world,” said a statement from his family that was shared with CNN by Fazio. His mantra: delivering happiness, his family says. “Instead of mourning his transition, we ask you to join us in celebrating his life,” their statement added. Hsieh was well known for his leadership of online shoe and clothing retailer Zappos. He had recently retired after spending 20 years with the company, Zappos CEO Kedar Deshpande wrote in a statement Friday. “The world has lost a tremendous visionary and an incredible human being,” Deshpande wrote. “We recognize that not only have we lost our inspiring former leader, but many of you have also lost a mentor and a friend.” Hsieh also played a “pivotal role in helping transform Downtown Las Vegas,” Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak wrote on Twitter. “Kathy and I send our love and condolences to Tony’s family and friends during this difficult time,” he wrote. Las Vegas Councilman Cedric Crear said he was “saddened” to hear the news. “Such a creative & innovative person who positively helped change the landscape of Downtown Las Vegas,” he said on Twitter. “We have been working on some cool projects for Downtown. God speed to his family, coworkers and our community.” More tributes for Hsieh poured in on social media early Saturday – many from other business leaders and entrepreneurs. “Tony Hsieh was always generous with me,” Dan Price, the head of Seattle-based Gravity Payments, said. “He would talk to me about anything and it was always a good time. RIP Tony.” He was a “truly original thinker, a brilliant entrepreneur, and a kind-hearted and generous friend to so many,” wrote Max Levchin, co-founder and former chief technology officer of PayPal. “He questioned every assumption and shared everything he learned along the way,” said Chris Sacca, a billionaire tech investor, on Twitter. “The earth has lost a beautifully weird and helpful person.” And in a tweet, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak sent condolences to Hsieh’s family and friends, and said, “Tony Hsieh played a pivotal role in helping transform Downtown Las Vegas.”