Vijay Vittal Mallya is one of India’s most controversial business tycoons and former Politician, the “King of Good Times”. He is the current chairman of the United Breweries Group (better known as the UB group) who is best known as the former chairman of United Spirits Ltd. (India’s largest liquor company). In 2002, he was a Member of the Rajya Sabha. He has always been in the media spotlight due to his lavish lifestyle, high profile parties, business ventures, beautiful girls and later became the media center when he was accused of being a “willful offender” under Indian Law. . Let’s find out some interesting facts about this “Former King of Good Times”.
Biography/Wiki
Mallya was born on 18 December 1955 (age 67 years; in 2022) in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Mallya was educated at La Martiniere Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal and subsequently obtained a Bachelor of Commerce from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, West Bengal in 1976. After the death of his father, Vijay Mallya became the chairman of United Breweries Group. He has served as chairman for various other companies such as Sanofi (a multinational pharmaceutical company), Bayer CropScience (a German pharmaceutical company) for more than 20 years.
Family, Wife & Caste
Vijay was born into a Hindu Konkani Brahmin family in Karnataka. His father was a famous Indian entrepreneur of his time, popularly known as Vittal Mallya, was the first Indian chairman and director of the United Breweries Group (UB Group). Vittal Mallya has been married three times in his life, and Vijay Mallya is the son of his first wife, Lalitha Mallya.
Vijay Mallya with his father, Vittal Mallya
Vijay Mallya with his mother, Lalitha Mallya
Vijay Mallya with his stepmother Ritu Mallya
Vijay Mallya married former Air India flight attendant Sameera Tyabjee in 1986 and the couple has a son Siddharth Mallya. However, the couple divorced within a year of their marriage. Later, in 1993 Mallya married his childhood sweetheart, Rekha, who was divorced and already had a daughter, Leila and a son, Kabir, from a previous marriage. Mallya also adopted Rekha’s daughter, Leila. Vijay Mallya and Rekha have two daughters, Leanna and Tanya. Currently, Vijay Mallya is dating a former flight attendant of Kingfisher Airlines, Pinky Lalwani.
Vijay Mallya’s Wives – Sameera Tyabjee (Left), Rekha Mallya (Center), Pinky Lalwani (Right)
Vijay Mallya with his first wife Sameera Tyabjee & son Siddharth Mallya.
Vijay Mallya with his girlfriend Pinky Lalwani (in saree)
Career
Vijay Mallya, during his college days, did an internship at his family business, and later, an internship at Hoechst AG in the United States. At the age of 28, Mallya lost his father, Vittal Mallya due to a heart attack. After his father’s death, in 1983, he became the chairman of United Breweries Group in 1983. As chairman of United Breweries Group, he focused on the Alcohol business which was considered more profitable than the core business involved. . The group grew into a multi-national conglomerate with about 60 companies, which it centralized into one group under the name Kumpulan UB. Bersatu Group, which is the leader of UB Group, is the largest spirit company in India. Mallya launched ‘Kingfisher beer’ Kingfisher Beer,’ which has about 50% market share in India. It is the most widely consumed beer in India and is also available in 52 other countries.
Vijay Mallya during his youth
In 2005, when India’s domestic airline market was at its worst, Mallya started Kingfisher Airlines with world-class facilities and the airline became an instant hit. Later, Kingfisher airlines started international flights; which became a drastic fall for the company. The company began to experience heavy losses and accumulated huge debts. The airline was shut down in October 2013, even failing to pay their workers.
Vijay Mallya in his Kingfisher airline
Mallya joined the Akhil Bharata Janata Dal in 2000. In 2003, he was associated with the Janta Party led by Subramanian Swami. In 2002, with the support of the Congress Party and the Janta Dal, Mallya contested as an independent candidate from Karnataka. He won and was elected to the Rajya Sabha. He served as the National Working President of the Janta Dal from 2003-2010, but in 2010, he switched camps and was supported by the ‘Bharatiya Janata Party’ (BJP), making him the winner, and he was elected to the Rajya Sabha for a second term. Ultimately, Mallya resigned from his post, as a Rajya Sabha MP, following allegations of fraudulent transactions and money laundering leveled against him.
Award
- Mallya was awarded an honorary degree of “Doctor of Philosophy” in Business Administration, by the University of Southern California for Professional Studies in 1997.
- He was awarded the Legion of Honor, France’s highest civilian award.
- He was also honored with the title of “Global Leader for tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum.
- In 2010, Mallya was awarded with the “Best Entrepreneur” award at The Asian Awards.
Controversy
- Vijay Mallya suffered huge losses after the airline started its international operations which grew from ₹188 crore in 2007-2008 to ₹1,608 crore in the following fiscal year for his Kingfisher Airlines which was once considered India’s second largest airline. In fact, he failed to pay the salary of the airline’s employees for about 15 months. As a result, the company’s debt soared to ₹5,665 crore by the end of 2009.
- Vijay Mallya cheated and took out loans from various banks even after incurring huge debts. One of the banks, which was wooed by Mallya, was IDBI Bank which gave an investment of INR 950 crore to his company. On the grounds of non-repayment of loans taken from various banks, in 2014, he was declared a “willful defaulter” under Indian Law. Around 17 banks accused him of not repaying loans amounting to around INR 9000 crores.
Vijay Mallya in a London court after being granted bail in an extradition case against him
- In March 2016, the SBI led the association and moved the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) to cancel Mallya’s passport and prevent him from leaving India. However, Mallya had already fled to London, a day before the SBI moved to the DRT, to escape arrest on financial charges leveled against him.
- Mallya was also arrested at Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant, but, he was granted bail and released on a bond of Rs. 6,50,000.
- On 20 April 2020, he lost his appeal at the High Court in London against his extradition case to India. Mallya is wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to an estimated Rs. 9,000 crore.
- On 11 July 2022, he received a four-month prison sentence in a 2017 contempt of court case by India’s highest court; the court also imposed a fine of Rs. 2,000.
- In March 2023, CBI officials alleged in the chargesheet filed against Mallya that between 2008 and 2017, he had enough money to repay the bank for Kingfisher Airlines Limited (KAL) loans and that he bought “personal assets” worth Rs 330 crores in across Europe, including England and France, and transferred the money to a Swiss trust for his children.
Net Worth/Assets
As of 2014, Mallya’s Net Worth is estimated at ₹615 Crores.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5pgGgg733s
House/Farm
- Mallya owns the ₹75 Crore Kingfisher Villa in Goa.
- He has a luxury home worth $1.2 million in Sausalito, California.
- “Le Grand Jardin” on Sainte-Marguerite Island (about half a mile offshore from the French Riviera city of Cannes).
- He owns Kunigal Stud Farm, Kunigal, Karnataka.
- Vijay owns a penthouse worth $2.4 million in Trump Plaza, New York, USA.
- He owns the $8.4 million Clifton Estate in Cape Town, South Africa.
- He has a 99.5% stake in a 25,000 acre game reserve named ‘Mabula Game Lodge’ near Johannesburg, South Africa after him.
- He is the owner of a “country house” in Hertfordshire, England.
- He owns Keillour Castle, Perthshire, Scotland.
- He has a bungalow facing the sea on Napean Sea Road, South Mumbai.
- He owns a house in posh Sardar Patel Marg in New Delhi.
Collection of cars & Jets
- Mallya owns Ferrari 1965 California Spyder, Ensign MN08, Jaguar XJ220, Jaguar XJR15 Racecar, Bentley, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 550 Spyder, Maserati Quattroporte and Rolls Royce.
- He owns Boeing 727, Airbus A319 ACJ, Gulfstream III, and Hawker HS125.
Favourite
- Mallya’s favorite color is Red.
- His most prized car is a Bentley.
- He prefers Indian cuisine and likes Kane Rava, Kori Gasi, Appams, Sannas, Mishti Doi, and Crab.
- His wine of choice is Ferrari Carano.
- Mallya’s favorite fashion brands are Armani, Valentino, Manoviraj Khosla and Roberto Cavalli.
Facts
- Mallya is a very religious person. Regardless, he makes sure to go on a pilgrimage to Sabarimala every year. The beleaguered businessman also visits the Tirupati Temple every time a new Kingfisher aircraft is commissioned. Mallya has made a habit of going to important meetings or events at a good time.
- Mallya also has an impressive collection of yachts. He owns the “Indian Empress”, one of the largest yachts in the world. It consists of a steam room, massage facilities, a cinema hall and a gymnasium.
Indian Empress Yacht
- In 2004, Mallya bought one of the world’s unique artefacts, Tipu Sultan’s sword for a valuation of around £175,000 from an auction in London because of his passion for unique things. In addition, he bought Mahatma Gandhi’s goods worth an estimated US$1.8 million, at an auction in New York.
Vijay Mallya with Tippu Sultan Sword
- His hobbies include watching F1 Car Race, Horse Breeding, listening to Vintage music.
- Mallya is a fluent speaker of Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Bengali, Konkani, English and French.
- Mallya’s love for jewelery is another important aspect of his life and he is usually seen with his initials “VJM” embraced in a large diamond studded bangle, his grandmother’s ear solitaire and Lord Venkateshwara’s emerald pendant.
- Vijay’s admiration for sports made him the owner of two Indian Football League football clubs named “East Bengal FC” and “Mohun Bagan AC”. Major stake in Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is his. Apart from this, he is the co-owner of Formula One team “Sahara Force India”.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
