The legal battle over the estate of former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has entered a new phase as forensic experts begin analyzing a mysterious will that surfaced after his death. Hsieh, who died at age 46 from injuries sustained in a 2020 house fire in Connecticut, was widely believed to have left no will.
However, a seven-page document, purportedly dated March 2015, was mailed to a Las Vegas courthouse last year, casting a shadow of mystery over the proceedings. The alleged will includes a no-contest clause that could disinherit any family member who challenges its validity. Hsieh's father, Richard Hsieh, has requested a jury trial, and the family has publicly called the document a scam.
The purported will names Robert Armstrong, a Las Vegas trust attorney, as a co-executor, though Armstrong stated he never met Hsieh. A man identifying himself as Kashif Singh reportedly claimed to have found the document among his late grandfather's belongings and sent it to Armstrong's office. The office later received what appeared to be the grandfather's death certificate from Pakistan.
To ascertain the document's legitimacy, a Las Vegas judge appointed forensic specialist Gerry LaPorte as a special master in May. LaPorte's team is conducting tests on the document, focusing on ink analysis of the signatures to determine if they are consistent with the 2015 date or were added later. Additional examinations may include handwriting analysis, fingerprint scans, and DNA testing.
Hsieh's family has retained its own forensic expert, Larry Stewart, a former U.S. Secret Service lab director who has worked on high-profile cases. LaPorte is expected to submit his findings by July 24, with the family's experts slated to respond afterward.