Jeffrey 'Jeff' Craig Sprecher is an American businessman, the self-made billionaire Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). His career is rooted in engineering, finance, and recognizing structural inefficiencies in energy and financial markets. Born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1955, he was taught early how to break down systems to their component parts and rebuild them better.

Sprecher holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1978) and an MBA from Pepperdine University (1984). His career began in power plant development, which led him to spot inefficiencies in the power market and the immense opportunity in electronic trading.

• Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) (Founder, Chairman & CEO): The core publicly traded asset, a diversified global exchange and clearinghouse operator (controlling the NYSE and commodity/data services).
• New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (Chairman): He led the $10 billion acquisition of the NYSE in 2013 and successfully oversaw its complete overhaul.
• Investment Strategy: His success is built on the electronification of trading and marketplaces and a string of major acquisitions (e.g., NYSE, NYBOT, Bakkt).
• Academic Background: He holds an engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Pepperdine.

Jeff Sprecher's strategic genius was his commitment to digitizing traditional exchanges. He bought the struggling Continental Power Exchange in 1996 for $1 plus the assumption of debt, which became the foundation for ICE. He founded ICE in 2000 as an online marketplace for energy trading.

Under his leadership, ICE embarked on a massive, strategic acquisition spree, buying the International Petroleum Exchange (2001), the New York Board of Trade (2007), and finally the NYSE itself in 2013. He served as Chairman of the NYSE for eight years, overseeing a complete overhaul. His wealth is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable profitability of exchange and data services. His anticipation of the globalization of natural gas and the launch of Bakkt (digital asset marketplace) confirm his foresight in the finance and technology sectors.

Jeff Sprecher's social impact is structural, stemming from ICE's role in modernizing and increasing the efficiency and transparency of global financial and commodity markets. His acquisition of the NYSE ensured the long-term technological relevance of the U.S. capital markets cornerstone. His launch of Bakkt drives the institutional adoption of digital assets.

His personal philanthropy supports various educational and community initiatives. His career is a testament to the profitability of disciplined engineering problem-solving applied to high-stakes financial exchange technology.

Jeff Sprecher maintains the professional, composed style of a major Wall Street executive. His attire is consistently bespoke, favoring dark, tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects stability and immense financial authority, befitting the Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.

Residing in Atlanta and New York, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to financial exchange innovation, asset acquisition, and corporate governance.