Doug Lebda, the 55-year-old CEO of LendingTree, was drunk and under the influence of THC when he died in an ATV accident on his newly purchased farm in Polk County, North Carolina, on October 12, according to a medical examiner's report released in March 2026. The report ruled his death an accident caused by blunt-force injuries.
Lebda, who had a net worth of $305 million, was found dead in a wooded area on his 277-acre riverfront farm at around 7.30pm. His second wife, Megan Greuling, 37, was listed as a witness but investigators said he was driving alone. Greuling later paid tribute to him as a 'magnetic' leader who was 'compassionate, generous, and endlessly curious about the world.'
Public records obtained by the Daily Mail reveal that Lebda had at least 11 criminal filings for speeding and reckless driving offences dating back to 2004. His first arrest was for speeding at 75mph in a 55mph zone, resulting in a $150 fine. Subsequent offences included multiple speeding tickets, reckless endangerment, and speeding in a school zone. The bulk of these arrests occurred after his contentious divorce from first wife Tara Garrity.
Lebda separated from Garrity in June 2011, a year after Greuling joined LendingTree as a marketing coordinator. The divorce was so acrimonious that Garrity now works as a 'high-conflict divorce consultant,' using her experience to help other women 'regain their power.' Court records show the pair fought over custody of their youngest daughter for years, including a contempt filing by Lebda against his ex-wife in January 2025.
Lebda married Greuling in a lavish ceremony in 2016, and she was later named Director of PR and Communications at his company. In addition to the farm, which he bought for $2.75 million two months before his death, Lebda owned a $10.6 million mansion on Wrightsville Beach, a Nantucket hideaway, and a superyacht.
