Santa Clara, CA — October 14, 2025
The San Francisco 49ers organization and the financial world are united in grief following the tragic passing of Doug Lebda, a minority owner of the 49ers
 and the visionary founder and CEO of LendingTree. Lebda died over the weekend in a fatal ATV accident on his family property in North Carolina. He was 55 years old.
LendingTree confirmed his passing in an emotional statement Monday, honoring him as a transformative business leader and a man whose innovation reshaped an entire industry.
“Doug was a visionary leader whose relentless drive, innovation, and passion reshaped the financial services landscape, touching the lives of millions of consumers,” the company wrote. “His energy and vision will continue to guide us forward.”
A native of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and a Bucknell University graduate, Lebda founded LendingTree in 1996 after struggling to secure his first mortgage. That personal challenge inspired a revolutionary idea — a
digital platform where lenders compete to offer the best deals to consumers.
Under his leadership, LendingTree went live in 1998 and soon transformed how Americans access credit. By 2000, it went public on NASDAQ under the ticker
TREE, marking Lebda as one of the pioneers of the fintech revolution.
Lebda joined the San Francisco 49ers ownership group in 2019, acquiring a minority stake that reflected his admiration for the organization’s legacy of excellence and innovation. He often described the Niners as
“a team built on vision, culture, and courage — values that mirror every great company.”
Authorities have not released full details regarding the accident, but tributes have poured in from NFL circles and the global business community. 49ers executives described Lebda as
“a man whose commitment to innovation and integrity left a lasting mark on every field he entered.”
Doug Lebda’s passing leaves a profound void — in San Francisco, in
the world of finance, and among those who admired his relentless pursuit of progress. His story stands as a lasting testament to the power of vision, resilience, and belief — the same spirit that drives the Faithful to The Bay.
