# Vishal Garg

> Vishal Garg is the Indian-American founder and CEO of Better.com, the online mortgage broker that went public via SPAC in 2023. A serial entrepreneur since his early twenties, he previously co-founded MyRichUncle, which became the second-largest private student lender in the U.S. before collapsing in the 2008 financial crisis. Known for his blunt communication style - including the infamous 2021 Zoom firing of 900 employees - Garg has built multiple companies at the intersection of finance and technology while living in Manhattan with his wife and three children.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO of Better.com
- **Organizations:** Better.com, MyRichUncle, One Zero Capital, EIFC, Future Finance, Climb Credit, Aram Global
- **From:** India
- **Nationality:** Indian-American
- **Education:** High School Diploma, Stuyvesant High School, B.S. Finance and International Business, New York University Stern School of Business
- **Known for:** Founded Better.com, one of the largest digital mortgage lenders in the United States, Took MyRichUncle public at age 26, making it the second-largest private student lender in America, Built multiple fintech companies spanning student lending, mortgage origination, and alternative education finance

## Career timeline

- **1995** — Graduated from Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan
- **1995-1999** — Studied at NYU Stern while working as a runner at Salomon Brothers and trader at VZB Partners
- **1999** — Worked as an analyst in Morgan Stanley's mergers and acquisitions department
- **1999** — Quit Morgan Stanley on his 21st birthday to found One Zero Capital, a hedge fund investing in India and Latin America
- **2000** — Co-founded MyRichUncle, a student finance company that grew to 300 employees
- **2005** — Took MyRichUncle public at age 26, becoming the second-largest private student lender in the U.S.
- **2008** — MyRichUncle filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy during the financial crisis
- **2009** — Co-founded EIFC, a special servicing company
- **2009** — Joined Aram Global to lead asset-backed securities team
- **2013** — Co-founded Future Finance, a UK student loan provider
- **2014** — Founded Climb Credit with Zander Rafael and Amit Sinha
- **2014** — Founded Better.com after a frustrating personal mortgage experience
- **2017** — Better.com raised funding from Kleiner Perkins at a $220M valuation
- **2020** — Sent infamous 'DUMB DOLPHINS' email to employees
- **2021** — Fired 900 employees over a Zoom call on December 2, sparking global backlash
- **2022** — Apologized, briefly stepped back, then returned as CEO; conducted second round of layoffs
- **2023** — Better.com went public via SPAC merger with Aurora Acquisition Corp

## Achievements

- Founded Better.com, one of the largest digital mortgage lenders in the United States
- Took MyRichUncle public at age 26, making it the second-largest private student lender in America
- Built multiple fintech companies spanning student lending, mortgage origination, and alternative education finance
- Raised hundreds of millions in venture capital for Better.com from Kleiner Perkins and other top investors
- Pioneered fully digital mortgage origination, eliminating traditional loan officers from the process

## Latest updates

- **2023-08** — Better.com went public via SPAC merger with Aurora Acquisition Corp; stock fell 93% from initial price
- **2022-04** — Leaked video revealed Garg telling employees the company had 'pissed away $200 million'
- **2022-03** — Second round of layoffs after Garg's return as CEO
- **2022-01** — Returned as CEO after brief leave following Zoom firing controversy
- **2021-12** — Fired 900 employees over Zoom call, sparking international media coverage and backlash

## Links

- Website: https://www.vishal-garg.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishalgargbetter/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/vishalgarg_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VishalGargBetter

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/vishal-garg
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-30