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METRO NEWS

@metrouk

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Why it worked

The story leverages a well-known, controversial event (the mass firing over Zoom) to create interest in a follow-up development (the CEO's own firing), tapping into public curiosity and schadenfreude.

Summary

This video reports on the firing of Vishal Garg, the former CEO of Better, who previously gained notoriety for firing 900 employees over a Zoom call. The report states that Garg is upset about his own termination and claims he was 'hoodwinked.'

Structure

1Introduction of the news
2Background on the CEO's previous controversial firing
3Announcement of his current firing
4His reaction to being fired

On-screen text

METRO NEWS The CEO who fired 900 people over Zoom before Christmas is now upset he's been fired. He claims he was 'hoodwinked.'

Transcript

The CEO who fired 900 people over Zoom before Christmas is now upset he's been fired. He claims he was 'hoodwinked.'

Original caption

The CEO who became infamous for firing 900 employees over Zoom has now been fired himself. Vishal Garg, founder and former CEO of fintech company Better, was removed from his role on August 3, according to CNN, with hedge fund manager Daniel Lewis taking over as interim CEO. Garg made headlines in December 2021 when he laid off around 900 employees during a single Zoom call, just weeks before Christmas. The move sparked widespread backlash and a flood of negative reviews for the company. Now Garg claims he was 'tricked' into handing control to Lewis, who had joined Better's board just a week before becoming interim CEO. Better's sales also fell dramatically under Garg, dropping from $1.5 billion in 2021 to $70 million in 2023. Garg says the company is now on track to reach $200 million in sales this year. Garg said that he felt Lewis had convinced the company’s board to fire him, saying: ‘It’s not about me. I care about delivering savings to people and helping them live the American Dream. So when shareholders said, “You need to take a back seat,” I complied.’ He added: ‘I suspect he always wanted to become CEO. The board made a mistake.’ #VishalGarg #BusinessNews #Layoffs #Workplace