Vijay Vittal Mallya is one of India’s most controversial business tycoons and a former politician, known as the “King of Good Times.” He is the current Chairman of United Breweries Group (popularly known as UB Group) and is best known as the former Chairman of United Spirits Limited (India’s largest spirits company). In 2002, he became a member of the Federal Council. He has been in the media spotlight due to his flamboyant lifestyle, high-profile parties, business ventures, beautiful girls and later when he was accused of being a “willful defaulter” under Indian law. Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about the “former King of Good Time.”
Biography/Wiki
Mallya was born on 18 December 1955 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India (age 68 years as of 2023). Mallya was educated at La Martiniere Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal, and received her Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1976 from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, West Bengal. After his father’s death, Vijay Mallya became the chairman of United Beer Group. He has served as the chairman of several companies such as Sanofi (a multinational pharmaceutical company) and Bayer CropScience (a German pharmaceutical company) for more than 20 years.
Family, wife and caste
Vijay was born into a Konkani Brahmin Hindu family in Karnataka. His father was a famous Indian entrepreneur of the time known as Vittal Mallya, who was the chairman and the first Indian director of the UB Group. Vittal Mallya was married three times in his life and Vijay Mallya is the son of his first wife Lalitha Mallya.
Vijay Mallya and his father Vittal Mallya
Vijay Mallya and his mother Lalitha Mallya
Vijay Mallya and his stepmother Ritu Mallya
Vijay Mallya married former Air India stewardess Sameera Tyabjee in 1986 and they have a son, Siddharth Mallya. However, the couple divorced after less than a year of marriage. Later, in 1993, Mallya married her childhood sweetheart Rekha, who was divorced and had a daughter Leila and a son Kabir from her previous marriage. Mallya also adopted Rekha’s daughter Leila. Vijay Mallya and Rekha have two daughters, Leanna and Tanya. Vijay Mallya is currently dating Pinky Lalwani, a former air hostess of Kingfisher Airlines.
Vijay Mallya’s wives – Sameera Tyabjee (left), Rekha Mallya (middle), Pinky Lalwani (right)
Vijay Mallya with his first wife Sameera Tyabjee and son Siddharth Mallya.
Vijay Mallya and his girlfriend Pinky Lalwani (wearing saree)
Profession
Vijay Mallya interned at his family business while in college and later at Hoechst AG in the United States. At the age of 28, Mallya’s father Vittal Mallya died of a heart attack. After his father’s death in 1983, he became chairman of the United Beer Group. 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 multinational conglomerate of about 60 companies, which he consolidated into one group and named the UB Group. UB Group’s flagship conglomerate becomes India’s largest spirits company. Mallya launched Kingfisher Beer, which has about 50% market share in India. It is the most consumed beer in India and is also sold in 52 other countries.
Vijay Mallya when he was young
In 2005, when India’s domestic aviation market was at its worst, Mallya founded Kingfisher Airlines with world-class facilities, and the airline became an instant success. Later, Kingfisher Airways started international flights; this was a serious failure for the company. The company began to suffer significant losses and accumulated significant debt. In October 2013, the airline went bankrupt and could not even pay its employees.
Vijay Mallya flies Kingfisher Airlines
Mallya joined Akhil Bharata Janata Dal in 2000. In 2003, he was associated with the Janta Party led by Subramanian Swami. In 2002, Mallya contested as an independent candidate in Karnataka with the support of the Congress and the BJP. He won and was elected to the Bundestag. From 2003 to 2010, he served as the National Working Chairman of the People’s Party, but in 2010, he switched camps, received the support of the “Bharatiya Janata Party” (BJP), became the winner, and was elected to the Federal House of Representatives. Second semester. Eventually, Mallya resigned from the Bundestag after charges of fraudulent trading and money laundering were brought against him.
Awards
- Mallya was awarded the “Doctor of Philosophy” honorary degree in Business Administration in 1997 from the Southern California University of Professional Studies.
- He was awarded France’s highest civilian honor.
- He was also named a “Global Leader of Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum.
- In 2010, Mallya won the “Entrepreneur of the Year” award at the Asia Awards.
dispute
- Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines, once considered India’s second largest airline, suffered huge losses after launching international operations, from 1.88 billion in 2007-2008 rupee increased to Rs 1,608 crore in the next financial year. He even failed to pay airline employees for about 15 months. As a result, the company’s debt soared to Rs 5,665 crore by the end of 2009.
- Even with huge debts, Vijay Mallya defrauded and took out loans from various banks. IDBI Bank was one of the banks attracted by Mallya, which invested INR 950 crore in his company. In 2014, he was declared a “willful defaulter” by Indian law after he failed to repay multiple bank loans. Around 17 banks have accused him of non-repayment of loans amounting to approximately INR 9,000 crore.
Vijay Mallya appears in London court after accepting bail in extradition case
- In March 2016, SBI led a joint effort to petition the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) to revoke Malya’s passport and prevent him from leaving India. However, a day before the SBI was transferred to DRT, Mallya had fled to London to evade arrest on financial charges.
- Mallia 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 April 20, 2020, his appeal against extradition to India failed in the High Court in London. Mallya is wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering, with charges estimated at Rs. 90 billion rupees.
- On July 11, 2022, he was sentenced to four months in prison by the Supreme Court of India in a 2017 contempt case; the court also imposed a fine of Rs. 2,000.
- In March 2023, CBI officials claimed in the charge sheet against Mallya that he had enough funds to repay bank loans to Kingfisher Airlines Ltd (KAL) and make purchases worth Rs 330 crore across Europe between 2008 and 2017 of “personal assets”, which included the UK and France, and transferred the money into a Swiss trust for his children.
Net Worth/Assets
In 2014, Mallya’s net worth was estimated at Rs 615 crore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5pgGgg733s
House/Manor
- Mallya owns Kingfisher Villa in Goa worth Rs 75 crore.
- He owns a luxury home worth $1.2 million in Sausalito, California.
- “Le Grand Jardin” on Ile Sainte-Marguerite (about half a mile offshore from the town of Cannes on the French Riviera).
- He owns Kunighar Stud Farm in Kunighar, Karnataka.
- Vijay owns a penthouse worth US$2.4 million in Trump Plaza, New York, USA.
- He owns the $8.4 million Clifton Estate in Cape Town, South Africa.
- He owns 99.5% of the shares in the 25,000-acre Mabula Game Reserve near Johannesburg, South Africa.
- He is the owner of a “country house” in Hertfordshire, England.
- He owns Cayler Castle in Perthshire, Scotland.
- He owns a sea-facing bungalow on Napian Sea Road in south Mumbai.
- He owns a house in posh Sardar Patel Marg in New Delhi.
Automobile and Aircraft Series
- Mallya owns a 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 a Boeing 727, Airbus A319 ACJ, Gulfstream III and Hawker HS125.
Favorites
- Mallya’s favorite color is red.
- His most cherished car was a Bentley.
- He prefers Indian food and likes Kane Rava, Kori Gasi, Appams, Sannas, Mishti Doi and Crabs.
- His wine of choice was Ferrari Carano.
- Mallya’s favorite fashion brands are Armani, Valentino, Manoviraj Khosla and Roberto Cavalli.
fact
- Mallya is a devoutly religious person. Regardless, he makes the pilgrimage to Sabarimala every year. The embattled businessman even visits the Tirupati temple every time a new Kingfisher aircraft is commissioned. Mallya has developed a habit of leaving for important meetings or events at auspicious times.
- Mallya also owns an impressive collection of yachts. He owns the Queen of India, one of the largest yachts in the world. It includes steam rooms, massage facilities, a cinema and a gym.
indian queen yacht
- In 2004, Mallya’s fascination with unique things led her to purchase one of the world’s unique artifacts – Tipu Sultan’s sword – at an auction in London for approximately £175,000. Additionally, he purchased Mahatma Gandhi’s property worth approximately $1.8 million at an auction in New York.
Vijay Mallya and Tipu Sultan’s sword
- His hobbies include watching F1 racing, raising horses, and listening to retro music.
- Mallya is fluent in Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Bengali, Konkani, English and French.
- Mallya’s love for jewelery is another important aspect of his life and he usually wears a huge diamond studded bangle, his grandmother’s solitaire and an emerald pendant of Lord Venkateshwara with ‘VJM ” acronym.
- Vijay’s love for sports led him to become the owner of two football clubs in the Indian Football League, East Bengal FC and Mohun Bagan AC. He owns a major stake in Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Apart from this, he is also the co-owner of the Formula 1 team Sahara Force India.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education