A recent court filing has revealed the existence of a will left by Tony Hsieh, the late tech mogul, surprising many, including his family, who had believed for over four years that he had died without one.
Hsieh, former CEO of online shoe retailer Zappos, passed away on November 27, 2020, at the age of 46 due to injuries sustained in a house fire in Connecticut.
In a dramatic turn of events amid ongoing legal disputes surrounding his estate, lawyers not associated with Hsieh’s family submitted the newly discovered will along with court documents on Thursday evening.
The seven-page last will and testament is dated March 13, 2015, and carries Hsieh’s signature along with that of several witnesses, according to the filing from attorneys at McDonald Carano and Greenberg Traurig, who represent the named executors.
The will was discovered late February among the belongings of the late Pir Muhammad, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and was reportedly unaware of Hsieh’s death.
Surprisingly, Muhammad was appointed as a co-executor of Hsieh’s estate, along with Robert Armstrong of McDonald Carano, while Mark Ferrario of Greenberg Traurig served as a contingent executor.
In an effort to maintain control and prevent tampering, the will specifies that Muhammad was granted “exclusive possession” of the original document.
Hsieh had requested that his beneficiaries not be informed of his bequests until after his passing, aiming for an element of surprise he referred to as the “WOW” factor.
The will outlines significant charitable donations, with Hsieh allocating $3 million to his alma mater, Harvard University, $500,000 to the American Red Cross, and $250,000 each to Goodwill of Southern Nevada and affordable housing developer Nevada HAND.
Vivian Thoreen, an attorney for Hsieh’s father, stated that the estate intends to take all purported expressions of Hsieh’s wishes seriously.
The probate case, being managed by Hsieh’s family, has been rife with complications including claims from various parties who allege business dealings with him, together with creditors making claims against his estate.
Reports detailing Hsieh’s erratic behavior as his health declined during his final year have also emerged, including allegations that close acquaintances exploited this situation for financial gain.
In the wake of Hsieh’s death, family attorneys filed papers asserting that the tech entrepreneur had died “intestate,” believing he had no will.
At that time, they expressed their aim to investigate any existing estate plan by accessing safe deposit boxes and consulting with Hsieh’s legal representatives and acquaintances.
As recently as November, attorneys for Hsieh’s father continued to assert in court filings that the younger Hsieh had died without a will.
The revelation of Hsieh’s will now presents the potential to fundamentally alter the trajectory of ongoing court battles and estate management efforts.
With significant sums designated for charitable causes, as outlined in the will, many await how the probate proceedings will unfold given this new development.
As the estate navigation continues, the focus will likely turn to how terms set forth in the will will be executed and what implications it might hold for the numerous claims involved in Hsieh’s complex estate.
The case illustrates the intricate and often tumultuous nature of managing estates where disputes arise amid significant wealth and divergent interests at play.
As this case progresses, it will garner widespread attention from those both within and beyond the tech industry, particularly given Hsieh’s influential legacy in shaping online retail and revitalizing downtown Las Vegas.
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