LendingTree said founder, chairman and CEO Doug Lebda died on October 12, 2025, in an all-terrain vehicle accident. The company announced the news the next day and said its president and COO, Scott Peyree, became president and CEO immediately. Steve Ozonian, the board’s lead independent director, became board chair.
What happened to Doug Lebda?
LendingTree announced on October 13, 2025, that Lebda had died unexpectedly the previous day, October 12, in an all-terrain vehicle accident. That is the cause and date stated by the company; its announcement did not provide further details about the accident. The Associated Press reported that Lebda was 55.
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At the time of his death, Lebda was LendingTree’s founder, chairman and CEO. The company described itself in the announcement as a financial platform offering access to loans, credit cards, insurance and other products through approximately 430 financial partners. That figure is LendingTree’s own description of its network.
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Who is leading LendingTree now?
LendingTree said Scott Peyree, previously its president and chief operating officer, was appointed president and CEO effective immediately. Steve Ozonian, then the board’s lead independent director, was appointed board chair effective immediately. LendingTree’s leadership page currently lists Peyree as president and CEO: LendingTree leadership.
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In the announcement, Peyree said: “The news of losing Doug was devastating. But one of the most immediate impacts of his legacy is the strong management team he put in place at LendingTree.”
Why did Doug Lebda found LendingTree?
Lebda founded LendingTree in 1996 after becoming frustrated with the process of financing his first home, according to the company’s shareholder letter. LendingTree said its original idea was to make mortgage rates more transparent by letting consumers shop for financial products online. The company’s leadership biography for Lebda also identifies 1996 as the founding year.
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The company’s board said Lebda built LendingTree around consumer empowerment and a mission to simplify financial decisions and foster economic opportunity. The company’s account links that founding purpose to the mortgage-shopping experience that prompted him to create the business.
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How did LendingTree develop?
The Associated Press reported that LendingTree launched nationally in 1998, became a public company in 2000, was acquired by IAC/InterActiveCorp and spun off again in 2008. These milestones are part of AP’s account of the company’s history.
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