LendingTree CEO Died in Accident on Family Farm

A financial leader who committed to the health of rural families and bought a farm in western North Carolina to reconnect with his farm roots died on the farm in an all-terrain vehicle accident, according to North Carolina authorities.

Doug Lebda was the founder, chairman, and CEO of LendingTree, the online lending institution headquartered in Charlotte and established in 1996.

Authorities say Lebda had been riding on an ATV last Sunday on the family’s property. A family member called emergency personnel after Lebda failed to return home.  Search crews later found his body.

"He made friends everywhere he went,” Lebda’s widow, Megan, told WCNC-TV in Charlotte. "His energy was magnetic, his smile contagious, and his presence was a source of comfort and inspiration,” she said.  

The family committed to helping families in smaller communities. In 2024 the Lebdas formed the Lebda Family Rural Healthcare Program. The $500,000 contribution gave rural students improved access to primary health care through a school-based virtual care program.

The program’s website explained the purpose when it launched:

“Rutherford County is one of many rural communities in North Carolina where children lack access to comprehensive medical care. In some counties, there are more than 2,000 children per pediatrician.  

To improve access to care, Atrium Health is embedding virtual clinics in local public schools to provide medical care to students onsite. With philanthropic support, its school-based virtual care program first launched in Cleveland County during the 2017-18 school year and has since grown to serve over 160 schools across eight counties in North Carolina.” 

Doug Lebda explained why the family believed in the need for the program. “Our family is committed to philanthropic support for education and health care – two of the most important things in life. It’s our desire to encourage and inspire others to step up and help implement this program in all counties Atrium Health serves. When we learned of the need to expand this program, which has proven to be so successful in other counties, we knew we wanted to help make it happen.”  

Following Lebda’s death, LendingTree named Chief Operating Officer Scott Peyree as its CEO and Lead Independent Director Steve Ozonian as chairman of the board.

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