(People) - Late Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, who died at age 46 in 2020, reportedly did not leave a will for his $500 million fortune.
The late businessman used "thousands" of sticky notes to detail "life mantras" and "financial deals" on the walls of his Park City, Utah, home, according to The Wall Street Journal, which recently reported that Hsieh's friends and family are now locked in a battle over his estate.
People connected to Hsieh are now claiming they are owed millions, and have used the sticky notes found in his home to file evidence for court claims, according to the Journal. Among those filing claims include Mark Evensvold, who alleged that Hsieh "agreed to pay him $450,000 a year to move to Park City to be a project manager."
Evensvold filed a claim for $30 million based on one of Hsieh's sticky notes, which was signed three months prior to his death, the Journal reports. In addition to the annual $450,000 allegedly promised, Evensvold claims that Hsieh also said he would give him a 20% share in a Las Vegas restaurant business.
Other claims include one filed by Mimi Pham, a friend of Hsieh's who is seeking over $90 million, and another filed by financial adviser Tony Lee, who is seeking $7.5 million, according to court documents obtained by the Journal.
Hsieh's family alleges in the court documents that people like Pham and Lee took advantage of Hsieh, per the newspaper. According to the outlet, both Pham and Lee have denied Hsieh's family's allegations.
An attorney for Pham did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Attorneys for Evensvold and the Hsieh family could not immediately be found by PEOPLE.
In November 2020, Hsieh died after suffering smoke inhalation and injuries in a Connecticut house fire, PEOPLE reported at the time. At the time of his death, he was battling an addiction to drugs and alcohol, according to Business Insider.
The executive's assets included over $122 million in Nevada and Utah real estate and a Morgan Stanley account containing over $400 million, according to court documents obtained by the Journal.
The newspaper reported that it "could take several years" for the estate to be settled, noting that "it is unusual for high-wealth individuals not to have a financial plan for when they die."
Hsieh joined Zappos four years after graduating from Harvard University, PEOPLE previously reported. He worked for the online shoe superstore for 20 years, before retiring in August 2020.
By Greta Bjornso
December 23, 2021
