LendingTree CEO Dies ATV-Riding With Financial Aha-Moment
Doug Lebda, LendingTree's founding wizard, tragically tumbled from an ATV at 55, slamming the brakes on a career that started in 1996 as 'CreditSource USA'âa name as lively as a mortgage queue. He turned mortgage misery into a $500 Yahoo ad gamble, snagging social security numbers and dreams alike, before marrying technical wizardry with cofounder Jamey Bennett and Wall Street speedster Rick Stiegler (RIP 2004). Doug preached 'wet feet moments' from his pre-Internet mortgage odyssey â when rate info meant literal feetwork, not a Google search. Even preached ChatGPT-powered 'Doug's daily digest' to automate drudgeryâbecause inbox chaos isnât woke without AI. CEO conductor, budget-slasher, and mortgage clarity crusader, Dougâs last public teaching? Balance joy vs 300-lender loan drudgery.
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Who knew the founder of loan combo deals met his match on an all-terrain vehicle? Doug Lebda died proving the universe wonât automate everything for youâespecially death by off-road financial metaphor.
Trying to get the best mortgage rates pre-Internet was such a 'wet feet' moment Doug made a whole business out of it. Meanwhile, he died on an ATV. Ultimate power move: getting off-road ceilings just right.
Doug Lebda didnât just found LendingTree; he hacked life with $500 Yahoo ads, an army of SSNs, and ChatGPT to dodge drudgery. Except apparently he forgot to auto-automate ATV-safety protocols.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 10/14/2025 | Author: Katherine Li
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