Marc Lore is not your typical billionaire entrepreneur. At 53 years old, he has built and sold multiple companies, challenged industry giants like Amazon and Walmart, and is now trying to revolutionize the way people eat. Whether it’s trading baseball cards, selling diapers online, or launching a futuristic food delivery concept, Lore’s career has been defined by big bets, fearless risk-taking, and an unrelenting drive to prove doubters wrong.
Early Life and the Entrepreneurial Spark
Born and raised in Staten Island, New York, Marc Lore didn’t grow up in a world of privilege. His family wasn’t wealthy, but they valued hard work and education. He studied business and economics at Bucknell University and, like many aspiring business leaders, took the conventional route—working at three banks over six years. But the 9-to-5 world wasn’t for him.
Lore was always a dealmaker at heart. He saw opportunities where others didn’t. In the late 1990s, he and two childhood friends launched The Pit, an online marketplace for trading baseball cards. It was a simple idea: digitize the collectibles market. The startup caught on, and in 2001, they sold it for $6 million—enough of a win to fuel Lore’s next big idea.
Diapers.com and Taking on Amazon
In the early 2000s, Lore became a father, and like most new parents, he realized how much of a hassle it was to buy diapers. That’s when he and his cofounder had a lightbulb moment: an online store dedicated entirely to baby essentials. Thus, Diapers.com was born.
It wasn’t long before Amazon took notice. The e-commerce giant wasn’t known for playing nice with competition, and by 2010, Amazon came knocking—not to destroy Diapers.com, but to buy it. Lore and his team sold the company for a staggering $500 million in cash. Not bad for a business built out of necessity. But the victory was bittersweet. Amazon later shut Diapers.com down in 2017, something Lore never forgot.
Jet.com: A Billion-Dollar Gamble
Lore wasn’t done taking on Amazon. He came back swinging with Jet.com, an e-commerce site designed to compete with the retail giant by offering lower prices through bulk purchases. The concept was unique—kind of like a digital Costco. Investors loved it, and Walmart loved it even more. In 2016, just a year after launch, Walmart acquired Jet.com for $3.3 billion.
Walmart didn’t just buy the company; they kept Lore on board to run their entire e-commerce division. He helped grow Walmart’s online business until 2021, but just like Amazon did with Diapers.com, Walmart eventually shut down Jet.com in 2020. Lore, however, had already moved on to his next big bet.
Buying the Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx
In 2021, Lore and former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez teamed up to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx for $1.5 billion. The purchase was structured in multiple installments, with Lore owning about 25% of the teams. The plan seemed solid until a dispute in early 2024 led to arbitration over their latest payment. Despite the uncertainty, one thing is clear: the value of the Timberwolves has doubled since they first agreed to buy the franchise.
For Lore, it wasn’t just about owning a sports team. It was about transforming the franchise, much like he had done with every business he touched.
Wonder: Reinventing How America Eats
Marc Lore’s latest venture, Wonder, is perhaps his boldest gamble yet. Originally launched in 2018, Wonder started as an ambitious food delivery service that used vans equipped with ovens to cook meals on the way to customers’ homes. The idea was that people could order restaurant-quality food and have it delivered piping hot, straight from the vehicle.
But by 2023, Lore realized the model wasn’t sustainable. He pivoted Wonder into something new: a tech-driven food hall concept. Instead of vans, Wonder now operates storefronts across five states, offering a diverse range of menu options from well-known restaurants and celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay and José Andrés.
The Financial Risks and Rewards
Wonder is still in its early stages, and the shift from vans to storefronts was expensive. The company lost $80 million during the transition. But Lore believes in playing the long game. He personally invested $300 million of his own money into the company and raised another $1.5 billion from investors.
Despite operating at a loss, Wonder has shown promising growth. In 2024, the company pulled in $470 million in revenue, a massive jump from $50 million in 2023. Much of this revenue came from its acquisition of Blue Apron, the meal kit company Wonder purchased for $100 million in 2023. In early 2024, Lore made another splash by buying Grubhub for $650 million—a move that could integrate Wonder further into the food delivery space.
What’s Next for Wonder?
Lore has big dreams for Wonder. He envisions it growing into a $40 billion company and going public by 2028. The goal is to continue opening more locations, with one new storefront launching every week in 2024. If successful, Wonder could become a major player in the food industry.
However, not everyone is convinced. Some industry experts, like Matt Newberg from food tech media company HNGRY, think Lore is scaling too fast before truly nailing the business model. For comparison, it took Chipotle 30 years to reach a $30 billion market valuation—and Wonder wants to do it in just a few years.
Marc Lore’s Net Worth and Personal Life
Despite the ups and downs of his businesses, Lore’s financial success remains undeniable. As of 2025, his estimated net worth sits at $2.8 billion. His willingness to bet big and take risks has allowed him to amass an impressive fortune, even as some of his ventures have faced setbacks.
On the personal side, Lore keeps a relatively low profile. He has a family but keeps most details private. When he’s not building businesses, he’s spending time with loved ones and thinking about what’s next.
Betting on the Future
Marc Lore has made a career out of challenging the status quo. From baseball cards to baby products, e-commerce giants to food halls, he has constantly reinvented himself and his businesses. Not all of his ideas have worked, but that’s the nature of entrepreneurship.
His track record proves one thing: he doesn’t back down from a challenge. Whether Wonder becomes the next big thing or fades away, Lore isn’t afraid to take the risk. And given his history, who would bet against him?
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