• Doug Lebda, LendingTree founder and CEO, died in an ATV accident at age 55, the company said.
• LendingTree’s COO, Scott Peyree, has been named CEO.
• Lebda founded LendingTree in 1996, transforming the financial services landscape.

Doug Lebda, the LendingTree founder, chairman, and CEO, died on Sunday in an ATV accident, the company announced. He was 55.

LendingTree named the company’s COO, Scott Peyree, as CEO following Lebda’s death.

“We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Doug,” LendingTree’s board of directors said in a statement. “Doug was a visionary leader whose relentless drive, innovation and passion transformed the financial services landscape, touching the lives of millions of consumers.”

Lebda founded LendingTree, an online lending marketplace, in 1996.

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