Vijay Mallya, once dubbed the “King of Good Times,” is an Indian businessman, politician, and fugitive whose flamboyant lifestyle and business empire captivated the world. From leading United Breweries Group to founding the ill-fated Kingfisher Airlines, Vijay Mallya’s journey is a saga of ambition, success, and controversy. As of June 2025, Vijay Mallya remains in the UK, fighting extradition to India over financial fraud allegations. This article explores Vijay Mallya’s biography, net worth, business ventures, legal battles, personal life, and recent updates, offering a definitive resource on his complex legacy.
Early Life and Education
Born on December 18, 1955, in Bantwal, Mangalore, Karnataka, Vijay Vittal Mallya grew up in a Konkani-speaking family as the son of Vittal Mallya, a prominent businessman and chairman of United Breweries Group, and Lalitha Ramaiah. Vijay Mallya’s privileged upbringing shaped his entrepreneurial drive. He studied at La Martinière Calcutta, where he was House Captain of Hastings House, and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, in 1976, per Wikipedia. After college, Vijay Mallya interned at Hoechst AG in the US, gaining early business exposure, per StarsUnfolded.
Following his father’s death in 1983, Vijay Mallya, at 28, inherited the United Breweries Group (UB Group), setting the stage for his meteoric rise, per Moneycontrol.
Business Ventures and Achievements
Vijay Mallya transformed UB Group into a conglomerate spanning alcohol, aviation, real estate, and more, earning accolades and controversies.
- United Breweries Group: As chairman, Vijay Mallya expanded UB Group’s portfolio, with Kingfisher beer commanding over 50% of India’s market share by 1999, per StarsUnfolded. The group’s turnover surged 64% to $11 billion by 1998–1999, acquiring companies like Berger Paints (1988), Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers (1990), and The Asian Age newspaper (2001), per Moneycontrol.
- United Spirits: Vijay Mallya led United Spirits to sell 100 million cases by 2012, making it the world’s second-largest spirits company by volume, per Goodreturns. He ceded control to Diageo in 2015 amid legal pressures, retaining a minority stake, per Goodreturns.
- Kingfisher Airlines: Launched in 2005, Vijay Mallya’s airline initially thrived, offering unmatched service. However, its 2007 acquisition of Air Deccan and international expansion led to losses exceeding ₹7,000 crore by 2010, culminating in its shutdown in 2012, per StarsUnfolded.
- Sports Ventures: Vijay Mallya owned the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) IPL team, co-owned the Force India Formula One team (until its 2018 administration), and held stakes in football clubs East Bengal FC and Mohun Bagan AC, per StarsUnfolded. RCB’s 2024 IPL win sparked tributes from Vijay Mallya, per Times of India.
- Other Roles: Vijay Mallya chaired Sanofi India and Bayer CropScience for over 20 years, diversifying his influence, per Wikipedia.
Vijay Mallya’s business acumen earned him the title “King of Good Times,” but his risky ventures sowed the seeds of his downfall.
Legal Troubles and Fugitive Status
Vijay Mallya’s financial scandals, centered on Kingfisher Airlines’ loan defaults, have defined his later years. As of June 2025, he remains a fugitive in the UK, facing extradition to India.
- Loan Default Allegations: Vijay Mallya is accused of defrauding banks of ₹9,000 crore, including a ₹900 crore IDBI Bank loan, per Moneycontrol. The CBI alleges collusion with bank officials, filing chargesheets against Vijay Mallya and others, per Business Standard.
- Fugitive Economic Offender: Declared a fugitive under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act in 2019, Vijay Mallya faces asset confiscation. Properties worth ₹14,131.6 crore have been restored to banks, per The Indian Express. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered ₹22,280 crore overall, per Business Standard.
- Extradition Battle: Vijay Mallya left India on March 2, 2016, claiming a pre-scheduled UK visit, per Times of India. Arrested in London in April 2017, he’s been on bail, losing his final extradition appeal in May 2020. As of April 2025, extradition is stalled due to unresolved “other bases,” per Wikipedia.
- Court Rulings: In 2022, India’s Supreme Court sentenced Vijay Mallya to four months in jail for contempt, citing his failure to disclose assets, per Zee Business. In June 2018, a UK court ordered him to pay £200,000 to Indian banks, per Wikipedia. A 2025 Mumbai court issued a non-bailable warrant for a ₹180 crore loan default, per Moneycontrol.
- SEBI Ban: In July 2024, SEBI barred Vijay Mallya from India’s securities market for three years for routing funds via UBS accounts, per Zee Business.
Vijay Mallya denies wrongdoing, claiming banks recovered ₹14,100 crore—double his debt—in a June 2025 podcast with Raj Shamani, per Business Standard. RPG Group’s Harsh Goenka questioned his “demonisation” in February 2025, per The Indian Express.
Net Worth in 2025
Vijay Mallya’s net worth was $1 billion in 2012, per Goodreturns. As of June 2025, it’s significantly reduced due to asset seizures and legal costs, though exact figures are unclear. Key financial points:
- Income Sources: Vijay Mallya’s wealth stemmed from United Breweries Group, United Spirits, and endorsements. His liquor business remains his primary income, per Goodreturns.
- Asset Seizures: Banks recovered ₹14,131.6 crore in properties, including a ₹90 crore Goa villa and a ₹14 crore French property, per The Indian Express. Vijay Mallya bought properties worth ₹330 crore in England and France in 2015–2016, per Business Standard.
- Legal Costs: Vijay Mallya paid £1.47 million in UK legal and receivers’ costs by 2020, per Wikipedia.
- Current Status: Living in London, Vijay Mallya maintains a lavish lifestyle, though constrained by bankruptcy proceedings, per NDTV.
Personal Life and Relationships
Vijay Mallya’s colorful personal life includes three marriages and four children, per BollywoodShaadis.
- First Marriage: In 1986, Vijay Mallya married Sameera Tyabjee, an Air India hostess, after a whirlwind romance. They had a son, Siddharth Mallya, in 1987, but divorced the same year, per BollywoodShaadis. Siddharth married Jasmine in June 2024 in London, with Vijay Mallya attending, per News18.
- Second Marriage: Vijay Mallya married Rekha, his childhood crush, in the 1990s. Rekha, previously married to Pratap Chettiappa and Shahid Mahmood, had three children: Stella, Laila, and Kabir. Vijay Mallya adopted Laila, who became Laila Mallya, a Vogue stylist. He and Rekha had two daughters, Leanna and Tanya. Their marital status is unclear, per BollywoodShaadis.
- Third Marriage: Vijay Mallya reportedly married Pinky Lalwani, a former Kingfisher Airlines hostess, though unconfirmed, per BollywoodShaadis.
- Family: Vijay Mallya’s mother, Lalitha, and son Siddharth remain close. His stepdaughter Laila was linked to Lalit Modi’s IPL scam, per BollywoodShaadis.
Vijay Mallya is deeply religious, visiting Tirupati Temple and Sabarimala annually, donating 3 kg of gold to Venkateswara Temple in 2012, per Wikipedia.
Recent Updates (2025)
As of June 2025, Vijay Mallya’s saga continues to unfold:
- Podcast Appearance: In June 2025, Vijay Mallya broke a nine-year media silence on Raj Shamani’s podcast, defending his actions, claiming banks recovered double his debt, and alleging media misrepresentation, per Business Standard. X users like @Lakhiyarashish criticized India’s inability to extradite him, per.
- RCB Tributes: After RCB’s 2024 IPL win, Vijay Mallya was celebrated by Bengaluru fans, with posters hailing his legacy, per Times of India. He congratulated RCB, reminiscing about selecting Virat Kohli in 2008, per News18.
- Legal Developments: Vijay Mallya approached Karnataka High Court in 2025, seeking a bank statement of recovered amounts, claiming ₹6,200 crore was repaid, per Zee Business. His bankruptcy appeal was dismissed, per Times of India.
- Public Sentiment: X posts reflect mixed views. @gappi7276 argued Vijay Mallya’s ₹14,131 crore recovery exceeds his debt, while @DrJain21 suggested he was “strategically targeted” to benefit others, per.
When I founded RCB it was my dream that the IPL trophy should come to Bengaluru. I had the privilege of picking the legendary King Kohli as a youngster and it is remarkable that he has stayed with RCB for 18 years. I also had the honour of picking Chris Gayle the Universe Boss…
— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) June 3, 2025
Hobbies and Lifestyle
Vijay Mallya’s extravagant lifestyle included hosting lavish parties at his Goa villa and owning luxury cars, per NDTV. An avid sports enthusiast, he invested in cricket, football, and Formula One, per StarsUnfolded. His religious devotion includes Sabarimala fasts and Art of Living practices, per Wikipedia. Vijay Mallya’s obsession with artifacts led him to buy Tipu Sultan’s sword in 2004, per Hindi Wikipedia.
Political Career
Vijay Mallya served as a Rajya Sabha MP (2002–2010, 2010–2016) as an independent and Akhil Bharat Janata Dal member, resigning on May 2, 2016, amid fraud allegations, per AajTak. He was among 17 MPs expelled from Parliament, per News18.
Controversies
Beyond financial fraud, Vijay Mallya faced:
- Contempt of Court: Fined ₹2,000 and jailed for four months in 2022 for transferring $40 million to his children, per Goodreturns.
- Panama and Paradise Papers: Linked to offshore accounts, per BollywoodShaadis.
- Lalit Modi Connection: His stepdaughter Laila’s role in Modi’s IPL scam raised scrutiny, per BollywoodShaadis.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q :- What is Vijay Mallya’s net worth in 2025?
Ans :- Once $1 billion, Vijay Mallya’s net worth is reduced due to asset seizures, though exact figures are unavailable, per Goodreturns.
Q :- Why is Vijay Mallya a fugitive?
Ans :- Accused of defrauding banks of ₹9,000 crore, Vijay Mallya was declared a fugitive in 2019 and faces extradition from the UK, per Wikipedia.
Q :- Where is Vijay Mallya now?
Ans :- Vijay Mallya lives in London, fighting extradition, as of June 2025, per Business Standard.
Q :- Who are Vijay Mallya’s wives?
Ans :- Vijay Mallya married Sameera Tyabjee (1986–1987), Rekha (1990s), and reportedly Pinky Lalwani, per BollywoodShaadis.
Q :- What businesses does Vijay Mallya own?
Ans :- Vijay Mallya chairs United Breweries Group and formerly led United Spirits, Kingfisher Airlines, and sports teams, per Moneycontrol.
Q :- What are Vijay Mallya’s recent updates?
Ans :- In June 2025, Vijay Mallya claimed banks recovered double his debt in a podcast, while his extradition remains stalled, per Business Standard.
Conclusion
Vijay Mallya’s journey from a liquor baron to a fugitive embodies ambition and hubris. His leadership of United Breweries, ownership of RCB, and lavish lifestyle earned him fame, but Kingfisher Airlines’ collapse and ₹9,000 crore fraud allegations tarnished his legacy. As of June 2025, Vijay Mallya resists extradition from the UK, claiming banks recovered his debts, while public sentiment remains divided.
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