Westgate Resorts Mourns the Passing of Founder David A. Siegel

ORLANDO, Fla. – April 5, 2025 – Westgate Resorts, the largest privately held timeshare company in the world, announces with great sadness the passing of its Founder and Executive Chairman, David Siegel.

Siegel established Westgate Resorts in 1982 with its first property on an orange grove he owned in Kissimmee, Fla., and it has since become the largest privately held timeshare company in the world and one of the largest resort developers in the United States. The empire he built includes more than 13,500 rooms at 22 resorts across the United States. Over 40 years, Siegel built Westgate Resorts into the largest private employer in Central Florida. Most recently he announced an expansion of more than 44 resort destinations set to close this year with the acquisition of Vacation Ownership Sales the management and development company of VI Resorts.

“David never forgot his humble roots, starting Westgate in his garage and using the company as a way to lead others to become inspired and successful,” said Jim Gissy, Chief Executive Officer of Westgate Resorts. “David worked hard to leave us a company that will continue to preserve its family origins, and the significant resources and ambition to instill joy in the lives we touch through the hospitality we provide.

Gissy continued “It was David’s enduring wish that the spirit of what makes Westgate successful – entrepreneurialism, customer satisfaction, and quality product that is at the heart of our DNA –will be the guiding principles of the next generation of leadership at our company. We know that we are all up to the task of driving forward the legacy of this visionary man and the company he founded.”

During his career, Siegel received an honorary doctorate from Florida A&M University, ARDA’s ACE Philanthropy Award, and Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year for the State of Florida. In 2013 he was inducted into the Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame by the University of Central Florida. Just this year, ARDA honored Siegel with its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

While David will be remembered for his successful business ventures, after the passing of his beloved daughter Victoria in 2015, David’s life mission radically changed toward solving the nation’s drug epidemic. He founded the Victoria’s Voice Foundation to honor Victoria and advocated zealously for the widespread availability of Naloxone, lobbying Congress and raising awareness on this important issue. Some of his accomplishments include Victoria’s Law in the state of Florida which mobilized the Department of Health and other statewide agencies to focus on awareness and tackling this epidemic. On a national level as well as within the state of Florida, he was instrumental in passing a law that declared June 6th, the day of Victoria’s passing, as National Naloxone Awareness Day with more than 100 landmarks around the country lighting up purple to create awareness of this issue. His efforts also led to the passing of the CARA Act, a federal law that unlocked significant funds to be used toward fighting the drug epidemic. His goal was to rally affected families around the leading cause of unnatural death amongst young people.

As a U.S. Air Force Veteran, Siegel has donated more than 28,000 complimentary vacations to members of our armed services as a thank you for their service to our country. The Westgate Foundation recently distributed grants of $1.5 million to community-focused organizations across the United States.

David Siegel was the proud husband of Jacqueline and father of 13 children, 12 grandchildren and step grandchildren. He was also responsible for creating thousands of jobs, including for the 8,500 team members who currently work for the company.

For more information on Westgate Resorts and its innovative efforts as a leader in hospitality, please visit westgateresorts.com.

ABOUT WESTGATE RESORTS

Westgate Resorts is the largest privately held timeshare company in the world and one of the largest resort developers in the United States. Founded in 1982 by David Siegel, the company is headquartered in Orlando, Florida with seven Orlando hotel resorts, and 22 themed destination resorts nationwide. Westgate Resorts locations feature more than 13,500 luxury villas and hotel rooms in popular vacation destinations throughout the United States such as Orlando and Cocoa Beach, Florida; New York City, New York; Park City, Utah; Las Vegas, Nevada; Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Williamsburg, Virginia; Branson, Missouri; and Mesa, Arizona.