The billionaire owner of the emblematic Westgate Resorts Hotel and Timeshare Chain died at the age of 89.
David Siegel died on Saturday morning surrounded by his family and friends, his business announced.
No cause of death has been given, but the Las Vegas Journal-Review reports that it had struggled against cancer.
Siegel is survived by his model and his wife of Mondaine Jackie, her nine children, two Beaux-Enfants and 12 grandchildren.
The businessman of couples lived in a $ 100 million Windermere manor nicknamed the “Palais de Versailles”.
“David’s mind lives in the thousands of lives that he touched, via the jobs that his businesses have created, the hospitality he has enabled, the charitable organizations and the communities he supported,” his family wrote in a statement.
“David’s energy and care extend far beyond his businesses.”
Siegel was the owner of 22 stations across the United States, including the famous Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino.
David Siegel, the founder of the company of Timeshare Westgate Resorts, died Saturday at 89 years old
He died on Saturday morning surrounded by his family and friends, announced his business
Siegel and his wife went home to this $ 100 million manor Windermere, Florida,
He founded the company in his garage in 1982, before opening his first hotel on an orange grove which he already owned in Kissimmee, Florida, the same year.
Today, the company oversees more than 13,500 rooms and more than 330,000 families of owners across the country.
“David’s vision to create high quality, but accessible hospitality, has started in its garage and has become what is now central Florida Investments & Westgate Resorts, one of the largest private host companies in the United States,” wrote Westgate Resorts.
Siegel was also the former owner of the Orlando Predators football team and had a net value of almost $ 6.67 billion when he died.
He and his wife built a 90,000 square feet house in Windermere, Florida, known as the Palais de Versailles for his opulence.
Jackie became known as the Queen of Versailles when a 2012 documentary called from the same name detailed the life of her family during the construction of the manor.
But the world of the family was upset by the death of the oldest daughter in Siegel, Victoria, of an overdose in 2015.
Her parents said that she had trouble with constant pressure to be followed by a camera.
Siegel told Los Vegas Review in 2019: “She was embarrassed by (the film), and she also crossed a kind of bad period of her life, in terms of weight.
Siegel is survived by his wife Jackie, his nine children, two fine children and 12 grandchildren
Siegel founded his company in his garage in 1982, before opening his first hotel on an orange grove which he already owned in Kissimmee, Florida, the same year. Photo with his wife Jackie
“Everything that could have turned badly, went wrong.
“In her newspaper, she said that the worst thing that had happened to her was the queen of Versailles cinema,” added Jackie.
“I just want her to be opened with us instead of keeping everything in her newspaper. I would have liked her to settle my shoulder and opened her heart with all her internal difficulties.
Apart from his commercial achievements, he was well known for his Prevention of drug abuse and awareness -raising activism after the death of Victoria.
Siegel and his wife Jackie began the Victoria’s Voice Foundation in 2019 and have so far helped more than a million parents and children thanks to its educational programs, according to a press release in 2023.
Victoria’s voice wrote: “There is never an easy way to say goodbye to someone so loved by so many people, but our hearts are full of knowing that it is at peace with Victoria now.”
In 2016, Siegel and his wife fought hard to call on the complete law on drug addiction and recovery (CAR), the first major drug addiction law that America had seen in more than 40 years.
In 2019, Jackie published her daughter’s newspaper in a book entitled Victoria’s Voice: our lost battle of our daughter with drug abuse to highlight the dependence on struggles.
Aside from its prosperous commercial activities, Siegel will remain memories for its tireless efforts as prevention of the prevention of drug addiction and defender of awareness following the death by overdose of his eldest daughter
Siegel was a supporter passionate about awareness and education in Naloxone, saving “thousands of lives” in his work, according to the sheriff John Mina
Siegel married his wife Jackie model in 2000 after two previous weddings
“Just after the death of Victoria, Jackie received a text from one of the friends of Victoria ordering her to look in her night room for a secret newspaper she had held – and suggest to publish it,” said Amazon’s description of the book.
“Victoria’s voice is a captivating overview inside the mind of a sometimes happy and healthy teenager and other times a teenager spectacularly influenced by drugs and alcohol. It is the voice of Victoria – beyond the grave. It could save your child’s life.
In 2023, the determined couple managed to campaign for June 6 to be appointed as the national day of awareness of the Naloxone, as an appropriate tribute to mark the day of the passage of Victoria eight years earlier “, according to their foundation.
Naloxone is a drug that can be used in emergency situations to treat opioid overdoses, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The common brands of the drug include Narcan and Evzio.
“David’s vision to create high quality, but accessible hospitality, has started in its garage and has become what is now central Florida Investments & Westgate Resorts, one of the largest private host companies in the United States,” Siegels wrote in a statement.
“More recently, with David’s blessing and wisdom, Westgate has announced the greatest geographic expansion in the history of our business. David was focused on work until the end, ”said the Siegel family.
The death of Siegel had caused a wave of tributes from friends and colleagues.
“I admire his humility and his kindness whenever he was at this point in his life,” wrote David’s friend, Pete Crotty.
Siegel’s eldest daughter, Victoria, died of a drug overdose in 2015
The star of her mother of Queen of Versailles, Jackie Siegel, published the journal of her 18 -year -old Victoria daughter after her death
Victoria’s Voice Foundation was created in honor of her eldest daughter, Victoria
David’s friend Pete Crotty said that the businessman was humble and became a voice for parents who lost their children because of drug overdoses
Siegel owned 22 stations across the United States, including the famous Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino
“He has become the voice of so many of us who have lost children because of dependence disease.”
“Not only was he an incredible entrepreneur and businessman, but his work of plea after the tragic loss of his daughter, Victoria, to an overdose, profoundly changed the landscape of awareness and treatment of drug addiction,” wrote the sheriff of the county of Seminole, Dennis Lemma.
“David’s tireless efforts played a decisive role in promoting the use of vital drug Narcan among the first stakeholders, including our agency.”
The sheriff of the County of Orange John Mina also visited social networks to thank David for having supported the application of local laws.
“His passion for putting an end to the epidemic of opioids has saved thousands of lives. We will really miss it, ”shared Mina.
The Siegel family requests donations from the Victoria’s Voice Foundation to honor David’s inheritance.