Marc Lore Bio
Marc Eric Lore (born May 16, 1971) is an American entrepreneur, businessman, and investor best known for founding and leading several prominent e-commerce ventures. He co-founded Quidsi, the parent company of Diapers.com, founded Jet.com, which was acquired by Walmart in 2016, and served as president and CEO of Walmart U.S. eCommerce from 2016 to 2021. Lore is the founder, chairman, and CEO of the Wonder Group and is the lead investor in Archer Aviation, an electric vertical take-off and landing company. He has also announced a long-term project to build a futuristic city called Telosa.
Outside of e-commerce, Lore co-founded the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) and co-owns the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx with Alex Rodriguez. He has been recognized as a regional Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young and was once called the “LeBron James of e-commerce” by businessman Matt Higgins.
Early Life and Background
Marc Eric Lore was born on May 16, 1971, in the Staten Island borough of New York City. He is the son of Peter and Chiara Lore and the oldest of three children. When he was ten years old, his family moved to the Lincroft section of Middletown Township, New Jersey. His mother was a bodybuilder and personal trainer who, during the late 1980s, trained model and actress Julianne Phillips. His father started a computer consulting company called Chadmarc Systems, named after his two sons.
Lore attended Ranney School in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, from fifth grade through twelfth grade. In 1989, during his senior year, he became the New Jersey State Champion for the 55-meter dash. His classmates called him the human calculator for his skill with numbers, though Lore has said he often behaved more like a class clown. He and his close friend and later business partner, Vinit Bharara, used to sneak down to Atlantic City and count cards at the casinos. In seventh grade, Lore got into stocks and began reading books on stock options and derivatives, which eventually led him toward a career in finance. In high school, he also started a baseball card company called The Mint with a grade school friend, Lax Chandra.
After graduating high school in 1989, Lore attended Bucknell University, where he ran track and field in the 100-meter, 200-meter, long jump, and javelin events. In 1993, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in business management and economics, graduating cum laude. He later enrolled in Columbia University but dropped out before completing a master of statistics degree, and he also attended The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania before leaving the MBA program after one year.
Path to Entrepreneurship
After graduating from college in 1993, Lore began his career in investment banking at Bankers Trust in New York City. He went on to hold positions at several major financial institutions, including vice president of emerging markets risk management at Credit Suisse First Boston and executive vice president at Sanwa International Bank in London, where he headed the bank’s risk management division. In 1996, he qualified for the U.S. National Bobsled Team but chose to stay with his banking job, which cost him a seat on the team for the 1998 Winter Olympics.
In 1997, while working at Credit Suisse First Boston, Lore and his colleague Lev Borodovsky co-founded the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) and created the Financial Risk Manager (FRM) certification. Today, an estimated 50,000 people have earned the certification, and GARP has more than 150,000 members in 195 countries. The two also co-authored The Professional’s Handbook of Financial Risk Management. In 1999, Lore stepped away from banking to co-found The Pit, Inc., an internet collectibles marketplace built as an alternative to eBay. The company was sold to The Topps Company, Inc., for $5.7 million in 2001, after which Lore joined Topps as chief operating officer of its gaming subsidiary, WizKids.
Marc Lore Career
Diapers.com and Quidsi (2005–2011)
In 2005, Lore and Vinit Bharara founded 1800DIAPERS, which was later rebranded as Diapers.com. Lore served as CEO of the company, which grew into a family of online retail websites under the parent company Quidsi. In 2011, Quidsi was sold to Amazon for $545 million, and Lore then worked for Amazon for over two years. That same year, he was named regional Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young.
Jet.com and Walmart Acquisition (2014–2016)
In 2014, Lore founded the e-commerce company Jet.com with Nate Faust and Mike Hanrahan, serving as its CEO. In February 2015, Jet raised $140 million in pre-launch funding from investors including Bain Capital Ventures, Accel Partners, Group, and New Enterprise Associates. The company opened to the public on July 21, 2015. On August 8, 2016, Walmart announced it had agreed to acquire Jet.com for $3.3 billion. Following the acquisition, Lore was appointed president and chief executive officer of Walmart U.S. eCommerce.
Walmart U.S. eCommerce Leadership (2016–2021)
As president and CEO of Walmart U.S. eCommerce, Lore led a major expansion of the retailer’s online business. After his first full year in the role, Walmart’s U.S. eCommerce sales grew 44 percent. Over the next several years, eCommerce sales nearly tripled, increasing 176 percent, and the company rapidly expanded grocery pickup and delivery. Under Lore’s leadership, Walmart rolled out free two-day delivery for orders over $35 without a membership fee and later accelerated to free one-day delivery. He also launched Store No. 8 in 2017, a technology incubator based in Silicon Valley that focused on robotics, virtual reality, augmented reality, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Despite strong revenue growth, Walmart’s e-commerce division recorded significant losses during his tenure.
Wonder Group Era (2018–Present)
Lore founded the Wonder Group, a food delivery startup, in 2018 and serves as its chairman and CEO. Wonder operates as a modern food court, with brick-and-mortar storefronts in Manhattan, Brooklyn, several towns in New Jersey and Long Island, and an outlet inside a Walmart in Pennsylvania. Customers can order from up to 30 virtual restaurants created with chef partners such as Bobby Flay, Marcus Samuelsson, and Jose Andres. As of 2021, Wonder had received $500 million in venture funding from investors including NEA, Accel, GV, General Catalyst, and Bain Capital Ventures. The company acquired Blue Apron in November 2023, announced a $700 million fundraising round in March 2024, and purchased Grubhub from Just Eat Takeaway for $650 million in November 2024. In May 2025, Wonder announced a $600 million funding round that brought its valuation to $7 billion.
Notable Events and Milestones
Lore made headlines in 2016 as the highest-paid executive in America following Walmart’s acquisition of Jet.com. In May 2021, he was recognized as the fastest team member alongside Ray Lewis during Rich Eisen’s Run Rich Run charity event, clocking a 40-yard dash time of 4.97 seconds. In April 2021, Lore and Alex Rodriguez signed a letter of intent to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx; the NBA approved the deal in July 2021, with full transfer pending final approval by the NBA Board of Governors.
Marc Lore Family
Family Background
Lore was raised by his parents, Peter and Chiara Lore, and grew up as the oldest of three children. His father’s computer consulting company, Chadmarc Systems, was named after his two sons. His mother worked as a bodybuilder and personal trainer.
Personal Life
Lore was married to Carolyn Lore. The couple later divorced. He has two children.