India's Life of the Party
via BW:
Even in a country thats minting millionaires by the hundreds, [Vijay Mallya] the silver-maned liquor baron is in a class by himself. His net worth is estimated at $1.5 billion—a figure he doesn't quibble with. And hes not shy about flaunting his wealth, with a collection of 42 homes scattered across the world, 250 vintage cars, a customized Boeing 727 and two other corporate jets, and three yachts—including the Kalizma, a 165-footer once owned by actor Richard Burton. "Everybody calls me flamboyant, as though it's my middle name, but I've always been the way I am," he says during an interview at his sprawling, 10-bedroom Mumbai home overlooking the Arabian Sea. Mallya is dressed down, in jeans and a bright red T-shirt emblazoned with the Kingfisher insignia. But as usual hes dripping with jewelry—gold chains, an antique diamond-studded watch, diamond earrings, and a gigantic bracelet with his initials spelled out in diamonds. [DR Note - He's watched one too many rap videos]
"Still, Mallya remains quintessentially Indian. He refrains from negotiating during Rahukalam, the hours during the day that some Hindu faithful believe are unlucky. And he has his planes blessed at Tirupati, a Hindu temple in southern India, before putting them into service. "
Even in a country thats minting millionaires by the hundreds, [Vijay Mallya] the silver-maned liquor baron is in a class by himself. His net worth is estimated at $1.5 billion—a figure he doesn't quibble with. And hes not shy about flaunting his wealth, with a collection of 42 homes scattered across the world, 250 vintage cars, a customized Boeing 727 and two other corporate jets, and three yachts—including the Kalizma, a 165-footer once owned by actor Richard Burton. "Everybody calls me flamboyant, as though it's my middle name, but I've always been the way I am," he says during an interview at his sprawling, 10-bedroom Mumbai home overlooking the Arabian Sea. Mallya is dressed down, in jeans and a bright red T-shirt emblazoned with the Kingfisher insignia. But as usual hes dripping with jewelry—gold chains, an antique diamond-studded watch, diamond earrings, and a gigantic bracelet with his initials spelled out in diamonds. [DR Note - He's watched one too many rap videos]
"Still, Mallya remains quintessentially Indian. He refrains from negotiating during Rahukalam, the hours during the day that some Hindu faithful believe are unlucky. And he has his planes blessed at Tirupati, a Hindu temple in southern India, before putting them into service. "
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