Reporters discuss bombshell story on Better.com’s Vishal Garg

Today’s HousingWire Daily features an exclusive interview with Forbes reporters David Jeans and Noah Kirsch. The pair join Mortgage Editor James Kleimann to discuss their recent article published at the end of November, titled “Mortgages, Fraud Claims and ‘Dumb Dolphins.’” The article dives into Better.com CEO Vishal Garg’s controversial workplace culture and how he leads the $4 billion fintech startup that’s preparing for IPO in 2021.

Here is a snippet that sums of the interview with Jeans and Kirsch. The transcript below has been lightly edited for length and clarity:

Noah Kirsch: I think it’s important for readers or listeners to understand that our story really is two-pronged. One is that on the top layer, you have a really successful CEO leading a really successful company [Better.com] who’s gotten a ton of positive press. And then our story is really about what’s happening beneath the surface. And part of it is about the tangle of lawsuits from many different high-profile parties that have followed Vishal for a long time. The other element is what is it actually like to work for [Vishal]. In some cases, some say that it’s worth it, and in some cases, some say that it was a pretty horrifying place to work. I think that’s the summary.

For background on Better.com, it was founded in 2016 by Vishal Garg and is a digital homeownership company whose services included mortgage, real estate, title and homeowners insurance. To date, Better.com has funded $25 billion in home loans and provided over $7 billion in cumulative coverage through Better Cover and Better Settlement Services.

The HousingWire Daily examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.

HousingWire articles covered in this episode:

• Better.com, valued at $4B, prepares for IPO in 2021