Tony Hsieh

Tony Hsieh was an entrepreneur and venture capitalist based in Las Vegas, Nevada, who served as the CEO of Zappos prior to his death in 2020. After graduating from Harvard University with a computer science degree, he co-founded the online advertising network LinkExchange, selling the digital platform to Microsoft for $265 million in 1998. He subsequently joined Zappos as an early investor and chief executive officer, scaling the online shoe retailer's global operations before orchestrating its $1.2 billion acquisition by Amazon in 2009. Beyond his e-commerce ventures, he authored the bestselling book "Delivering Happiness" and committed $350 million to the Downtown Project, an urban revitalization initiative aimed at transforming downtown Las Vegas into a startup hub. His professional background centers on developing consumer internet business models, advancing venture capital investments, and establishing foundational frameworks for modern corporate culture.