Seattle legend Scott Fitzsimmons shares what finally drove his businesses out of WA

May 21, 2026 - 03:51

Scott Fitzsimmons, a longtime fixture in Seattle's business scene, has finally followed through on a plan he first hatched in 2019. The entrepreneur recently opened up about the cascade of issues that ultimately forced him to relocate his companies out of Washington state. Fitzsimmons said the decision was not a sudden one, but the result of years of mounting frustrations.

He pointed to a combination of rising crime, deteriorating street conditions, and what he described as an increasingly hostile regulatory environment. The breaking point, according to Fitzsimmons, came when the day-to-day cost of doing business in Seattle began to outweigh any benefits of staying. He noted that safety concerns for his employees and customers became impossible to ignore, with property crimes and vandalism eating into his bottom line.

Fitzsimmons also criticized local leadership for failing to address the root causes of homelessness and drug use that have reshaped the city's core. He said that while he loves the Pacific Northwest, he could no longer justify the risk and expense of operating there. His departure marks a significant loss for the local economy, as his ventures had employed dozens of workers for years. Fitzsimmons now operates out of a more business-friendly state, where he says the atmosphere feels more supportive of growth and stability.