Tony Hsieh founded Zappos in 1999 after selling his previous company LinkExchange to Microsoft for $265 million. Zappos started as an online shoe retailer but has expanded to sell clothing, accessories and more. The company emphasizes delivering happiness to both customers and employees through excellent customer service and a strong company culture defined by its 10 core values. Zappos has experienced rapid growth, with over 1,400 employees and annual sales of over $1 billion. The company prioritizes building long-term relationships through customer satisfaction over short-term profits.