Zappos founder Tony Hsieh is pictured with the author, Sarah Lacy. Courtesy of Sarah Lacy Former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh died Friday at the age of 46, after being injured in a house fire in Connecticut over Thanksgiving. His longtime friend, Sarah Lacy, writes that the gifted entrepreneur had an "over-sized Willy Wonka whimsy" and "was fundamentally someone who wanted to make people happy." Lacy is a serial entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Chairman Mom.