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Better pushes back on Garg’s bid to regain control, citing losses and board concerns

August 14, 2026 at 3:38 PM Sarah Wolak HousingWire

Better Home & Finance Holding Co. on Friday pushed back against efforts by former CEO Vishal Garg to regain control of the company, accusing him of a history of poor performance and attempting to pressure the board.

The company said its board, excluding Garg, unanimously voted to remove him as CEO after concerns about his “judgment, temperament and credibility.” The board cited more than $1.5 billion in cumulative GAAP net losses since 2022 and a stock price decline of more than 90% during Garg’s tenure.

The letter and announcement come just 11 days after Better announced that board member Daniel Lewis would succeed Garg as interim CEO. Garg told HousingWire at the time that he remained “Better’s founder, a board director, its single largest voting shareholder.”

Garg previously aimed for profitability by late 2026. But Better’s Q2 2026 earnings including an adjusted EBITDA loss of $14 million and came after 11 consecutive quarters of losses.

The pushback follows Garg’s announcement Thursday evening that he is seeking to return to an executive role and had retained the services of attorney Alex Spiro. In a letter to the board, Garg called for five directors to resign, which Better said would effectively hand control of the company back to him.

Garg’s proposal also noted that he would work for $1 until Better becomes profitable, and that he would repurchase $30 million of the company’s stock, including $10 million within the first five trading days.

Ryan Grant, president of NEO Home Loans powered by Better, characterized the proposal as essentially “noise” and part of a broader “battle to control the board.”

Better’s press release said that drama escalated earlier this week when Garg allegedly refused to sign required representation letters needed for Better to file its quarterly Form 10-Q on time. The company said his refusal was the sole reason for the delayed filing and characterized the move as an attempt to “extract self-serving concessions” from the board and directors.

“The Board is committed to acting in the best interest of all shareholders and will not be bullied into actions that they do not believe serve those interests,” Better said in a statement.

The board said shareholders have established mechanisms under Better’s corporate governance documents to change the “composition of the board” and, indirectly, the company’s leadership. But it said these processes include formal requirements designed to protect shareholders.

“The Board’s concerns extend beyond matters of corporate governance,” the release stated. “The Board has reviewed communications that, based on counsel’s analysis, evidence Mr. Garg’s direct involvement in conduct that counsel believes may constitute violations of U.S. securities laws.”

Better also pointed to Garg’s own assessment of the company’s performance. According to the board, Garg told directors that Better would have been better off if the capital raised under his leadership had been invested in U.S. Treasury securities rather than deployed under his stewardship.

Better also said that shareholders do not need to take any action at this time.

Editor’s note: This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Originally reported by HousingWire.
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