Jeff Sprecher

Jeff Sprecher founded Intercontinental Exchange in Atlanta in 2000 after acquiring a small energy exchange, Continental Power Exchange. He built ICE into a major global futures exchange for energy, agricultural, and financial products. In 2013, ICE acquired NYSE Euronext for $8.2 billion, making it the owner of the New York Stock Exchange — one of the most storied acquisitions in exchange industry history. ICE has continued to grow through acquisitions including Interactive Data Corporation, Virtu BondPoint, and Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS). ICE has transformed from a derivatives exchange into a diversified financial markets infrastructure company with significant data and technology businesses. Sprecher married Nasdaq's predecessor Kelly Loeffler, who later became a US senator.