Doug Lebda , the chief executive and chairman of LendingTree , died in “an all-terrain vehicle accident” on his family farm in North Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 12, the company confirmed.

“Doug was a visionary leader whose relentless drive, innovation and passion transformed the financial services landscape, touching the lives of millions of consumers,” LendingTree’s board of directors said in a statement on Monday, Oct. 13.

Lebda, who was 55 years old according to the Wall Street Journal, founded the company, a marketplace for mortgages and other financial instruments, in 1996 after “experiencing the frustrations and complexities of getting his first mortgage,” according to his biography on the company’s website.

LendingTree launched in 1998 and went public in 2000. The Charlotte,

See Full Page