The mansion on top of a skyscraper…whose owner will probably never set foot in it: Mega home is built 400ft in the sky in India
A mansion atop a skyscraper in the Indian city of Bangalore has attracted attention not only because of its unlikely aesthetic and opulent composition, but also because the owner of the mega-mansion is unlikely to set foot in it.
The replica of the White House is built on top of Kingfisher Towers, located 120 meters high and spread over two levels, covering an area of 40,000 square meters.
The $20 million mansion-style penthouse sits on a giant cantilevered slab at the top of the skyscraper in the luxury UB City retail and office space, which is built on a 4.5-acre plot where the owner’s ancestral home once stood .
Vijay Mallya, the son of United Breweries Group founder Vittal Mallay, left India in March 2016 as lenders and law enforcement agencies hunted him after he allegedly borrowed huge sums of money and never returned any of it.
Mallya has been fighting the charges ever since and India is trying to have him extradited from Britain.
The replica of the White House is built on top of the Kingfisher Towers, located 120 meters high and spread over two levels, covering an area of 40,000 square meters. The mansion-style penthouse is located on a gigantic cantilevered slab at the top of the skyscraper of the luxury retail and office space UB City
The mansion is said to include a wine cellar, indoor heated pool and outdoor infinity pool, as well as a rooftop helipad, but the finished product is still shrouded in mystery since Mallya announced plans to have the dream home built. in 2010.
The 34-storey skyscraper houses approximately 81 apartments spread over three blocks.
It was developed as an extension of UB City, which was built under a joint development agreement between United Breweries Holdings Ltd (UBHL) and Prestige Estates Projects Ltd. UBHL owns 55 percent and the developer owns the remaining 45 percent.
Mallya has a net worth of $750 million, according to Forbes.
In July last year he was given a four-month prison sentence for contempt of court.
The tycoon, whose empire included a Formula 1 motor racing team, an Indian Premier League cricket franchise, breweries, distilleries and an airline, was fined Rs 2,000 (about £21) for transferring $40 million to his children , contrary to the court. orders.
The 34-storey skyscraper houses approximately 81 apartments spread over three blocks. The mansion is said to include a wine cellar, indoor heated pool and outdoor infinity pool, as well as a rooftop helipad, but the finished product is still shrouded in mystery.
Mallya fled to Britain amid allegations that he siphoned off millions from $1.4 billion in loans to Kingfisher Airlines to buy properties and fund his flashy lifestyle, instead of using it to strengthen the airline.
He was granted conditional bail after his arrest in March 2017.
In 2020, his attempts to avoid extradition ended when his final appeal to the Supreme Court was rejected, although he has remained in Britain since.
In response to a question about the extradition of Mallya and Nirav Modi, another Indian billionaire wanted in India on money laundering and fraud charges, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said in August that Britain has no intention of become a place where people can hide. evading justice can hide.
Tugendhat said the British government is committed to extraditing fugitives to bring them to justice and is working closely with the Indian government in the Modi and Mallya cases.
He said Britain will not allow its justice system to be used to protect criminals.
Mallya announced plans to have the dream house built in 2010. The skyscraper on which it stands was developed as an extension of UB City, which was built under a joint development agreement between United Breweries Holdings Ltd (UBHL) and Prestige Estates Projects Lt.