For several months, the world has been talking about the lavish pre-wedding parties that the Ambani family has organized in honor of their son Anant (29), whose wedding will take place between July 12 and 14. The bride is Radhika Merchant (29), daughter of a millionaire owner of the pharmaceutical company Encore Healthcare. The groom's father, Mukesh Ambani (67), is India's richest man with a fortune estimated by Forbes at $116 billion. They have spared no expenses in the private celebrations: Justin Bieber was paid $10 million for a 12-song concert, Rihanna pocketed $6.3 million, the catering cost $20 million at the first party, etc.
Indian billionaires are not exactly discreet when it comes to showing off how wealthy they are. Vijay Mallya (68), founder of the United Breweries Group which markets Kingfisher beer and former member of the Rajya Sabha parliament, has a net worth of $1.2 billion according to Celebrity Net Worth. That is, 1% of what Ambani owns. However, he does not skimp on luxuries in his private life.
He owns one of the most extravagant mansions on the planet as he had a replica of the White House built on top of his 120-meter-high residential skyscraper Kingfisher Towers in Bangalore. It features a private helipad, infinity pool, extensive gardens, a wine cellar, a cinema, 7 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, a chef's kitchen, among other luxuries, spread over 3,700 square meters. It has been dubbed 'the mansion in the sky' and the most curious thing is that it is uninhabitable.
Vijay Mallya has been living in London since 2016 because he fled from Indian justice as he was apparently accused of money laundering, capital flight, and non-payment of multiple loans. In England, he also owns notable properties fit for a king, such as a $21.5 million mansion in Cornwall Terrace, where on the same street the former Sheikha of Qatar bought three mansions for $154 million and Ladywalk Mansion, a country residence in Hertfordshire worth $14 million.
In other countries, he owns other majestic properties such as Le Gran Jardin in France, worth $30 million, which includes a helipad, private nightclub, and extensive vineyards, and on the outskirts of San Francisco, specifically in Sausalito, he put up for sale the largest mansion in the area with 1,000 square meters for $20 million.
To relax, he loved sailing on his 95-meter-long yacht valued at around $93 million, which includes, among other luxuries, a 15-person cinema and was seized because he owed the 40 crew members $1 million in salaries. For intercontinental travel, he owned an $88 million Airbus A319 that was auctioned six years ago due to debts and penalties he had with his former airline Kingfisher Airlines.
The Indian billionaire has been married to Rekha Mallya since 1993, with whom he has three daughters, Laila, Tanya, and Leanna. From his previous marriage to Samira Tyabjee (1986-1987), he has a son named Siddaharth (37), who makes a living as an actor and model.