Exclusive | I actually love you: Better.com CEO gushed over ousted founder before replacing him in top job: filing
Better.com’s new boss once told the mortgage lender’s founder, “I actually love you,” and showered him with praise as a “0.01%” talent — before replacing him in the top job and becoming his adversary in an increasingly nasty battle for control of the company, according to court papers.Daniel Lewis, an activist investor who amassed a stake in Better, repeatedly gushed over founder Vishal Garg in private text messages while advising him on strategy, court filings said.“I woke up this morning thinking about you — you are by far the most compelling CEO in my public portfolio,” Lewis wrote to Garg on March 10, according to messages included in court filings.The remarkable bromance unraveled months later when Garg, who made headlines in 2021 after he let go some 900 employees over a Zoom call, nominated Lewis to Better’s board on July 27.Just one week later, on Aug.3, the board fired Garg after 12 years running the home-finance company.
Lewis was installed as interim CEO.Now Better and its founder are slugging it out in Manhattan federal court over Garg’s effort to oust Lewis and four other directors.While Better is accusing Garg of taking illegal steps in that effort, Garg is hoping to become interim CEO if he prevails.Just hours after Garg was canned, Lewis, who had taken over as interim CEO, continued sending affectionate messages.“You are the last person I am texting tonight — you are on my mind.
You are in my heart, whether you believe it or not,” Lewis wrote shortly after midnight on Aug.4, according to the messages included in court filings.Less than two minutes later, Lewis wrote in all caps: “REMOVING VISHAL GARG IS NOT WINNING.
HE IS OUR FOUNDER.”Garg now alleges Lewis maneuvered his way into power after spending months ingratiating himself with the founder — an accusation contained in Garg’s opposition filed Monday to Better’s request for a court order restricting his shareholder revolt.Lewis told The Post: “Let’s ...