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Founder and ceo Doug Lebda of Lending Tree died in an all-terrain vehicle Accident at my family’s farm on the weekends North Carolina,
not started company In 1996 he “simplified the loan purchase business” after experiencing disappointment in making his first acquisition. mortgageAccording to the company’s website. He was 55 years old.
The entrepreneur is survived by his wife Megan and three daughters Rachel, Abby and Sophia.
LendingTree confirmed that its founder died on Sunday after an accident at a farm.
His wife, Megan Lebda, said in a statement, “Our hearts are broken, but we are also deeply grateful for the love and support we have received from around the world.” “Doug’s legacy will live on in the company he built, the lives he touched, and the example he set for all of us to lead with kindness, courage and compassion.”
Lebda, who grew up in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, started several businesses as a teenager – mowing lawns, cleaning pools and even selling fireworks – before attending college at Bucknell University. wall street journal Informed.
His experience shopping for a mortgage inspired LendingTree when he set out to buy his first home. Lebda took the company public in 2000 and sold it to InteractiveCorp in 2003, when it was valued at $726 million. The company later folded on its own again in 2008, when IAC abandoned it due to the recession.
Now, LendingTree’s online loan marketplace helps people find and compare loans mortgageCredit cards, insurance needs and more. The company also has other brands in the financial sector, including CompareCards and ValuePenguin. He also founded Tycoon, a financial services platform for children and families in 2010.
“All my ideas come from my own experiences and problems,” he said told wall street journal In a 2012 interview.
“Doug was a visionary leader whose tireless drive, innovation and passion changed the landscape of financial services and impacted the lives of millions of consumers,” LendingTree’s board of directors said in a statement. “His passion will continue to inspire us as we move forward together.”
Scott Perry, the company’s chief operating officer, has been appointed CEO with immediate effect. The company said Steve Ozonian, lead independent director, will take over Lebda’s role as chairman of the board.
“The news of losing Doug was devastating,” Perry said in a news release. “But the most immediate impact of his legacy is the strong management team he built at LendingTree.”
With reporting from the Associated Press.