Zappos ex-CEO Tony Hsieh’s death ruled ‘accidental’ as house fire investigated
- The iconic tech entrepreneur died Friday night after a house fire in Connecticut
- Tony Hsieh, known for his unorthodox management style, was called a ‘visionary’
The death of retired Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh was ruled “accidental” and related to complications from smoke inhalation, Connecticut’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said on Monday.
Hsieh died Friday following injuries sustained in a November 18 house fire. He was 46.
Officials in New London, Connecticut, where the fire occurred, said the blaze remained under investigation.
The New London police department said emergency workers arrived at the scene to find dark smoke coming out from the back of the house, and that Hsieh was in a storage area and couldn’t get out. He had been hospitalised after the fire.
Hsieh had led the Las Vegas-based Zappos for 20 years before retiring.
A Harvard University graduate, Hsieh was a dot-com era success. He joined Zappos in 1999 when it was called ShoeSite.com and led it for two decades. Amazon.com purchased the company for US$1.2 billion in 2009, and Hsieh remained CEO until stepping down in August.