The auction of Kingfisher House — the one-time headquarters of Vijay Mallya’s — was something of a debacle. It seems that the Rs. 150 crore base price set on the 17,000 square-foot mansion was too high to have any takers.
But that is for the banks to worry about, as they find themselves let down by yet another belated attempt to recover something from the whole fiasco. For the rest of us, perhaps it’s time to speculate on what more exciting; more exotic properties of the liquor baron might eventually come on the block.
For starters there is the Kingfisher Villa, Mallya's Goan family home, all luscious lawns and large pools and opulence. Located on Candolim beach, it overlooks the Arabian sea.
Or we could go back to Mallya’s Bengaluru roots, and check out the Kingfisher Towers. Situated at the city’s heart, this apartment complex is spread out on 4.5 acres of prime land, and commands an asking price of Rs. 30 crore for each individual flat in it.
Now we get whisked away to Capetown, where in November 2010, Mallya purchased Clifton Estate with its sauna, walk-in safe, gym and four-car garage, for a reported 8.4 million.
And then it’s off to New York, to revel in the company of such stars as Bruce Willis, Beyonce and Tony Embry, at Mallya’s Trump Plaza penthouse. This penthouse is located in New York’s Trump Plaza. Mallya apparently paid $2.4 million for it.
Then it’s back again to Johannesburg, or somewhere thereabouts, to the Mabula Game Lodge, spread across 25000 acres in one of the finest game reserves in the country.
There’s also the option of a sunny California home with views of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco. Apparently, Mallya purchased this home out of foreclosure for $1.2 million and spent far more renovating it.
Or, for a more exclusive destination, we could go to Le Grand Jardin, located on Sainte Marguerite, half a mile from the town of Cannes.
And finally there’s Ladywalk, Mallya’s country home near London, spread across thirty acres on Queen Hoo road. This is where Mallya is rumoured to be living at the moment.
But at the end of this long daydream, let’s face it, most of what’s featured on this list are a bit too “King of Good Times”, a bit too grand and lush (read expensive) for the average man.
Thankfully, there’s a whole set of pieces of the Mallya empire that seem far more accessible. This list includes such wonderfully described goodies as chairs of various tables and sizes, monitors of various makes, and tables of various sizes. But not to worry, the good folk at SBI have also thrown in a few premium and budget cars as well. But you’ll have to wait till April 6 to get your own piece of Mallya memorabilia. Meanwhile, here’s a wishlist to choose from.
