{
  "id": 1175173,
  "title": "Indian-American CEO who fired 900 on Zoom is sacked",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/indian-american-ceo-who-fired-900-on-zoom-is-sacked",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-16T02:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/world/americas/indian-american-ceo-who-fired-900-on-zoom-is-sacked-1.500642331"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dubai: Indian-American entrepreneur Vishal Garg, who became notorious for dismissing 900 employees in a brief Zoom call, is now on a mission to regain his position as CEO at Better Home & Finance. Garg was removed from his role on August 3 and replaced by Daniel Lewis, a hedge fund manager who joined the company's board just a week prior. Garg claims that Lewis deceived him, stating, \"He hoodwinked me. He said he liked our strategy, praised us on X, and used that to gain our trust and confidence.\" Garg has enlisted the help of renowned attorney Alex Spiro and sent a letter to the company's board demanding his reinstatement. He is even offering to work for $1 a year until the company becomes profitable again, after which he intends to step down from the CEO role. The irony of Garg's situation is evident, having been fired for being ruthless and now facing dismissal himself. Garg acknowledges that his 2021 firing inflicted significant damage on his reputation and the company's morale, but insists that his removal came at an inopportune time. He argues that Better Home & Finance has made a remarkable recovery, tripling its loan volume and nearing profitability. Despite the company's 2023 SPAC merger causing its shares to plummet by 93%, Garg believes the business is now on track for approximately $200 million in annual sales.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Vishal Garg fired 900 employees in a Zoom call.",
    "Daniel Lewis replaced Garg as CEO on August 3.",
    "Garg suing for reinstatement, offering to work for $1 a year."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Vishal Garg's ousting and subsequent bid to regain his CEO position at Better Home & Finance reveals a power struggle that could determine the company's future direction and leadership stability.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}