Latest news with #TonyHsieh
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Lightware Revolution: Powering Business With Quantum Coherence
Dr. Pravir Malik is the founder and technologist of QIQuantum and the Forbes Technology Council group leader for Quantum Computing. When Tony Hsieh and the Zappos leadership team asked me to scale up the 'Cosmology of Light' workshops—chronicled in a two-part Forbes series—at the end of 2019 to also target external audiences, the invitation felt audacious even by the company's boundary-shattering standards. In those months, hundreds of employees—and, once the pandemic hit, thousands of online participants—closed their eyes, envisioned a radiant sphere of light at their core and invited their most stubborn personal or professional challenges into that luminous space. What's striking is how the core shift facilitated in the workshop mirrors the process of quantum computation. Light-Algorithms And Quantum Computation Let's first look at quantum computation in more detail. It begins by placing qubits into states of superposition and entanglement, allowing simultaneous exploration of many computational pathways. These qubits then evolve coherently, guided by a carefully sequenced set of quantum gates—the components of the algorithm. As the system progresses, these pathways interfere: Incorrect paths cancel out, while correct ones are amplified. The algorithm's effectiveness depends on maintaining coherence throughout this evolution, so that constructive interference can clearly reveal the most probable—or optimal—outcome at the moment of measurement. Now, let's look at the parallels at the human level. In the workshop setting, a participant begins by envisioning a globe of light radiating from their center—an act that invites a surrender to the 'logic' of that light. As the mind and heart settle, inner dialogue quiets and judgment recedes, a field of expanded awareness emerges. This is the human equivalent of superposition: multiple possibilities becoming simultaneously perceptible. The challenge to be addressed is then consciously introduced into this luminous space, entangling with it. Verbal cues and subtle instructions from the facilitator act as quantum gates, shaping the evolution of the algorithm. A successful light-algorithm culminates in a distinct somatic shift—a felt bodily signal that the process has completed. To test its efficacy, participants are encouraged to apply the method to one of two similar real-life situations, leaving the other untouched, and observe which yields the more constructive outcome in the following weeks. Quantum Computation Across Scale In earlier Forbes writings—beginning with "Learning From An Atom-Based Quantum Computer"—I've proposed that if the atom functions as nature's foundational quantum computer, then so must molecules, and by logical extension, all complex structures: cells, organisms, ecosystems—even people. Why then wouldn't the light-algorithm at the heart of these workshops also be a legitimate quantum computational process? We often assume that the quantum and classical worlds are fundamentally disconnected. The quantum is 'weird'—governed by uncertainty, nonlocality and entanglement—while the macro-world is logical and ordered. But perhaps this split reflects more of a perceptual bias than a truth. What if the unpredictability, strange synchronicities and nonlinear leaps we witness in human life and organizations are not separate from quantum behavior but extensions of it—the same weirdness expressed at a different scale? If so, then many so-called quantum oddities may not be odd at all. They may simply be universal patterns we've failed to recognize as continuous across the micro and macro. This reframes both life and physics: The quantum becomes familiar, and the familiar reveals its quantum depths. The Emergence Of Lightware Recognizing people, teams and organizations as nature-based quantum computers—systems that, like their engineered counterparts, require coherence-enhancing tools—introduces a new imperative for technological design. Imagine enterprise platforms that detect cognitive overload and dynamically reconfigure workflows to restore team-wide quantum coherence. Envision wearable devices that convert biometric patterns into a real-time "quantum-coherence index," gently nudging users toward stillness, where insight becomes most probable. Take it further to participatory AIs, trained on thousands of light-algorithm transcripts, which design personalized quantum interventions for healing, insight and innovation. Such AI involvement may reveal that 'soft skills' such as mindfulness, empathy and psychological safety are, in fact, analogous to error correction, noise mitigation and decoherence controls, respectively. At the furthest edge of this vision lies a future where entire organizations operate not as hierarchies or even networks but as coherent light fields, where strategic intent propagates through resonance rather than reporting lines. Taken together, these scenarios describe an emerging category that can be called 'lightware'—technologies engineered not just to process information but to entrain quantum coherence across biological, social and digital strata. A Quantum Opportunity The timing for such a leap is fortuitous. Photonic and neutral-atom quantum processors are rapidly advancing toward error-corrected performance. As I explored in a previous Forbes article, a QIQD (quaternary interpretation of quantum dynamics) perspective suggests that when light interacts with atoms, it doesn't merely shift energy—it extracts meaning. This opens a profound technological opportunity: to leverage QIQD-informed photonic-atomic processors in the development of lightware. Meaning-based processing could provide the foundation for a new ontology—one capable of translating the petabytes of behavioral data generated by wearables and agentic large language models into actionable metrics of quantum coherence. As hybrid work proliferates and AI-driven automation accelerates, this approach offers a timely and necessary response to the rising demand for deeper, more resonant forms of engagement. Quantum coherence may offer a measurable, trainable indicator that transcends productivity dashboards and employee-sentiment polls. Venture funds are already scouting startups that translate quantum principles into leadership development, culture engineering and decision support. Expect seed rounds for coherence-analytics platforms within the next couple of years and Series A investments in hardware-software quantum-coherence bundles soon thereafter. Much as pocket calculators demystified arithmetic, lightware may render quantum 'weirdness' a daily business tool and urge executives to stop questioning whether quantum thinking applies to enterprise life and start asking how quickly they can deploy it. The question facing leaders now is simple: Will you wait for quantum coherence to emerge by accident, or will you design for it on purpose? Those who choose the latter may discover that technological leaps aren't just about speed, precision or control but about quantum coherence. And that the next great innovation won't just be built on silicon or code—but on light. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Mystery will surfaces in battle over tech mogul's $500million fortune
A mysterious will said to be the final wishes of Zappos founder Tony Hsieh has emerged five years after his death. The tech giant, worth over $500 million, died after a fire engulfed his friend's Connecticut home in 2020, having only retired three-months earlier from the billion-dollar firm. His family had until recently believed he left no final will, with a new report from the Wall Street Journal saying the document mysteriously appeared this spring. According to the outlet the document has Hsieh's signature on it and is dated 2015, five years before the 46-year-old died. In the months leading up to his death he had been battling severe drug and alcohol abuse. The will was delivered to the office of Nevada based estate attorney Robert Armstrong, who had never met Hsieh before or worked with him. He was named as an executor. The discovery has thrown his probate case into turmoil. Armstrong said in court filing seen by the outlet, that he was shocked to have received the document. The will is said to transfer over $50 million and several Las Vegas properties to a series of trusts with as yet unknown beneficiaries. It is also said to include several charitable donations including $3 million to his alma mater Harvard University. The rest would go to his family. Hsieh was inside a shed near the property in New London when he was caught in the fire At a hearing on Thursday there was no further clues as to how legitimate the document is, or where it came from. The court heard that after Armstrong received the will he got a phone call from a man named Kashif Singh. Singh told the lawyer that the will had been passed to him by his late grandfather, Pir Muhammad, who was named as a co-executor. The revelation has stumped those involved in Hsieh's estate and the court, with both sides unsure how to proceed. Armstrong, alongside attorney and co-executor Mark Ferrario, have claimed that Hsieh's family's legal team have been aggressive in their approach. In a filing, they said the family's lawyers had adopted a 'scorched earth approach' and made over 70 requests for documents to 'invalidate the will'. Dara Goldsmith, a lawyer representing the family, told the Journal: 'There is nothing 'scorched earth' about thoroughly examining a document that comes out of nowhere, more than four years after Tony Hsieh's death.' She added that Richard Hsieh, his father, 'has faithfully administered his son Tony's estate and guarded Tony's legacy.' Goldsmith told the court on Thursday that the family hadn't decided on whether to challenge the will. Prior to his death, Hsieh had gone on a massive buying spree, buying up at least seven multi-millionaire dollars homes, a private club and a vacant lot. He spent at least $50 million as part of his plan to relocate to the millionaires' playground of Park City, Utah. Hsieh, who was born in Illinois and was the son of Taiwanese immigrants, studied at Harvard University before he joined Zappos - then called - in 1999. As CEO, he helped transform the fledgling internet start-up into a billion-dollar business. Zappos was sold to Amazon for $1.2 billion in 2009, but Hsieh remained with the company until his retirement in 2020. For years, Hsieh also worked to revitalize downtown Las Vegas, pledging $350 million in 2013 for redevelopment. The same year he moved Zappos' headquarters into the former Las Vegas City Hall building.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EQT Buys Majority Stake in Waga Energy for $331 Million Ahead of Potential Takeover
EQT is set to buy a majority stake in renewable natural gas producer Waga Energy ahead of a possible full takeover in a deal that values the company at 534.2 million euros ($611.4 million). EQT said Friday that it has agreed to buy 54.1% of Waga for 21.55 euros a share. Based on this price, the stake would cost around 289 million euros and represents a 27% premium to Thursday's closing price. Fight Begins Over the $500 Million Estate of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh's Surprise Will BCG Fires Two Partners Over Gaza Aid Work Procter & Gamble to Cut 7,000 Jobs Stocks Slip, Tesla Tanks as Trump-Musk Feud Rages Three Recessions in Less Than Two Decades? A Millennial's Lament Once the transaction is complete, EQT said it would file a mandatory cash offer to buy the remaining shares at the same price and delist the company. Waga's board of directors has expressed initial unanimous support for EQT's proposals, it said. The price could rise by up to 2.15 euros a share depending on Waga's ability to monetize U.S. investment tax credits on its projects in the country, EQT said. Waga Energy produces renewable natural gas–or biomethane–from landfill gas and EQT said it hopes the tie-up would create a global leader in production. Trading of Waga Energy's shares was suspended in early morning European trading. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals and EQT expects the acquisition of the shares to complete in the second half of the year. Write to Adam Whittaker at U.S. Trade Deficit Cut in Half on Record Drop in Imports Crypto Firm Circle's Shares Soar in Stock Market Debut Humana to Back Curbs to Medicare Advantage Billing Practices Live Q&A: Deficit, Debt and Markets—We Answer Your Biggest Questions A New Shot Prevents HIV—and Breathes New Life Into a Stagnant Biotech Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
European Industry Contracts as Tariffs Pull Exports Lower
Industrial production in the eurozone's two largest economies declined in the first month of President Trump's global tariff blitz, a sign that an economic slowdown is underway after a start to the year that was even stronger than first estimated. German industrial output contracted 1.4% on month in April, statistics agency Destatis said Friday, a sharper fall than the 1.0% decline expected by economists polled by The Wall Street Journal. Fight Begins Over the $500 Million Estate of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh's Surprise Will Stocks Slip, Tesla Tanks as Trump-Musk Feud Rages Procter & Gamble to Cut 7,000 Jobs BCG Fires Two Partners Over Gaza Aid Work Three Recessions in Less Than Two Decades? A Millennial's Lament That offset much of the 2.3% jump in output in March, when U.S. firms stockpiled imports to get ahead of the impact from expected tariffs. Trade data, also published Friday, showed goods exports to the U.S. from Germany sank 10.5% as companies adapted to the new trade reality. In early April, President Trump threatened 20% tariffs on most EU goods, before suspending them and leaving a 10% base tariff. In late May, he threatened a new 50% tariff before suspending them until July to allow for more talks. Europe's economy had improved at the start of 2025, with fresh data showing the eurozone's gross domestic product rose 0.6% on quarter in the first three months of the year, an upgrade from the 0.3% previously estimated, and the fastest pace since the third quarter of 2022. On an annualized basis, growth was 2.5%, sharply contrasting with the 0.2% decline in the U.S. Germany's industry also improved in that period, posting the largest quarterly increase in production since the start of 2022. That was ahead of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that sent energy prices higher and for years curbed the competitiveness of Germany's energy-intensive manufacturing base. In France, the eurozone's second-largest economy after Germany, production also declined 1.4% in April, quashing signs of recovery booked there in the preceding months and flipping consensus expectations that output would in fact rise. In total, April's data suggest that just as U.S. stockpiling boosted some overseas economies in the first quarter, the end of that process is set to be a headwind for them in the second. In that sense, the industrial and trade data are disappointing as they suggest the largest part of the recent growth surge was driven by frontloading of tariffs and not so much by substantial improvement, Carsten Brzeski, ING's global head of macro research, said in a note to clients. Production dived 18% for the export-orientated pharmaceutical industry in Germany after a strong rise in March, with machinery production also feeding the overall decline, Destatis said. Indeed, much of the upward revision to GDP in the first quarter came from pharmaceutical exports, from both Germany and Ireland, according to Capital Economics' chief Europe economist Andrew Kenningham. Irish GDP, which is volatile given it is a base for multinational companies, soared 9.7%. Manufacturers can take comfort from the European Central Bank's rate cut on Thursday, which could free up the ability for firms to borrow more. The new German government, led by Friedrich Merz, has announced plans to massively boost spending on defense and infrastructure that could increase demand for industrial goods toward the end of this year. ECB President Christine Lagarde flagged the opposing trends at the central bank's rate-decision meeting. 'While the uncertainty surrounding trade policies is expected to weigh on business investment and exports, especially in the short term, rising government investment in defense and infrastructure will increasingly support growth over the medium term,' she said. Write to Ed Frankl at and Joshua Kirby at Corrections & AmplificationsProduction dived 18% for the export-orientated pharmaceutical industry after a strong rise in March. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said it fell by 20%. Corrected on June 6. U.S. Trade Deficit Cut in Half on Record Drop in Imports Crypto Firm Circle's Shares Soar in Stock Market Debut Humana to Back Curbs to Medicare Advantage Billing Practices Live Q&A: Deficit, Debt and Markets—We Answer Your Biggest Questions Champagne Toasts, Big Ambitions: Wells Fargo CEO Embraces Newfound Freedom Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tony Hsieh's possible will discovered, sparking wealth questions 4 years after death
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Former Zappos CEO and Las Vegas entrepreneur Tony Hsieh may have written a will after all, leading to more questions about what happens to his massive wealth, according to documents filed Thursday. The will, written in 2015, was found in the personal belongings of a co-executor of Hsieh's assets in February, records said. The co-executor died that month and was not 'aware' of Hsieh's 2020 death due to an Alzheimer's diagnosis. Hsieh died in New London, Connecticut, on Friday, Nov. 27, 2020, after being rescued from a fire on Nov. 18. He was 46. The will, which appears to be signed by Hsieh and others, calls for most of Hsieh's assets to be transferred to a trust. It also orders money to be given to organizations, including Harvard University and the American Red Cross. Lawyers for Hsieh's estate have repeatedly written in court documents that Hsieh did not have the mental capacity to sign off on contracts in the months and years leading up to his death. It was not immediately clear Friday if the will would hold up in court. Because no will was located after his death until now, the issue of Hsieh's estate has played out in probate court. Earlier this month, a judge ordered Hsieh's estate to pay his former lawyer hundreds of thousands of dollars as part of a contract signed months before the entrepreneur's death. Hsieh led retail giant Zappos for 20 years and retired as CEO before his death. He played a pivotal role in the revitalization of downtown Las Vegas and had an estimated net worth in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
