Vishal Garg, the Better.com co-founder who became widely known after firing more than 900 employees during a 2021 Zoom call, is now fighting to get his CEO job back after being removed from the top position at Better Home & Finance.

Garg has accused his successor, Daniel Lewis, of misleading him about his intentions before taking control of the company. He has since demanded that the board reinstate him as chief executive.

How Vishal Garg lost the Better.com CEO job

Better appointed Lewis as interim CEO on August 3, just days after he joined the company's board on July 27.

The company initially described the leadership change as a decision Garg and the board had “mutually agreed” upon. Better later said the board, excluding Garg, had unanimously voted to terminate him, citing concerns about his “judgment, temperament and credibility.”

Garg disputes the circumstances surrounding his removal.

“He hoodwinked me,” Garg told CNN, alleging that Lewis had praised Better's strategy on X and used his relationship with the company to gain a board position before ultimately taking over as CEO.

Garg said Lewis had advised him for months on cost-cutting and profitability before joining the board. He now suspects Lewis had been aiming for the CEO position all along.

Rather than stepping away from Better, Garg is now seeking to regain control of the company.

Garg, who remains on Better's board, said several investors contacted him following his removal and encouraged him to return. He claims he has enough voting power, including support from early investors, to challenge the current leadership.

He has also retained lawyer Alex Spiro, a partner at Quinn Emanuel, and demanded that the board restore him as CEO.

Garg has offered to work for $1 a year until Better becomes profitable, saying he would eventually step away from the company.

The battle comes as Garg argues that Better is finally recovering after years of financial trouble.

The mortgage company, once valued at $8 billion during the pandemic-era refinancing boom, was hit hard as mortgage rates rose and its refinancing business collapsed. Garg said annual sales dropped from $1.5 billion in 2021 to $70 million in 2023.

He now claims the company is on track to generate about $200 million this year, with AI-driven mortgage processing technology and partnerships helping revive the business.

“We’re winning. We’ve tripled loan volume. We’re close to profitability,” Garg said.

Garg said he believes the board made a mistake by removing him just as the company was recovering.