This $20m mega-mansion was built on top of a 400-foot skyscraper
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It’s a surreal sight – in the city of Bangalore, a majestic columned mansion complete with manicured grounds sits at the top of a 400-foot skyscraper. Floating well above the hubbub of the city, the unusual residence was built by controversial tycoon Vijay Mallya. Once one of India’s richest billionaires, he’s had something of a fall from grace and has since found himself a fugitive from the law so he might not get to even live in this boundary-pushing home. Click or scroll on to find out more…
Vijay Mallya
Indian businessman Vijay Mallya made his fortune through liquor companies including United Spirits and UB Spirits, before branching out into Formula 1. Today, Forbes estimates him to be worth $750 million, but there was a time when he was worth much more. During the height of his wealth, Mallya was known as the ‘King of Good Times’, because of his reportedly lavish lifestyle. But his empire started to unravel when one of his companies collapsed, leading to a string of accusations from officials in India. But before we get into that, let’s take a look at the mogul’s rather unusual home…
Taking to the skies
Currently nearing completion, Kingfisher Towers lies in the UB City business district of Bangalore, India. It was built on the former site of Mallya’s ancestral home and he jointly owns it, alongside the company behind the build itself, Prestige Groups. The 34-story structure sits on 4.5 acres of land and has 81 units across three blocks. But, of course, Mallya saved the best residence for himself. If you look closely, you might just be able to spot it…
A rooftop mega-mansion
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That’s right, Mallya built himself a luxury penthouse on the roof of the building – well, it’s more like a mega-mansion, actually. Sitting almost 400 feet above ground, the 40,000-square-foot property almost looks like an optical illusion. The two-level home boasts a helipad, numerous exterior decks and even an infinity pool, all with 360-degree city views. Thanks to travel filmmaker Srihari Karanth, we can enjoy some seriously incredible drone shots of the astonishing building.
Lavish interiors
Sadly, we can’t step inside the mansion, but this real estate image of another property inside the tower gives us a good idea of how it might look. According to PropTiger, the apartments are being constructed from the highest quality materials and every resident will have access to a communal gym, pool and clubhouse. Decked out with glossy floors, recessed lighting and high-end furnishings, the complex screams luxury. In fact, Srihari Karanth reports that Rana George, the son of Indian politician KJ George, bought one of the apartments for 352 million rupees, which equates to $4.3 million.
A pricey project
Allegedly modeled after the White House in Washington, DC, the mansion has two elevators that provide private access. In fact, according to Coldwell Banker, the penthouse is entirely separate from the other units in the tower, so Mallya can come and go undetected. The realtors also suggest that the property set the businessman back a cool $20 million – a fact that has proved extremely controversial, considering Mallya’s companies are said to be in serious amounts of debt…
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Shrouded in controversy
In 2008, Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines went bust. According to Forbes, the company owes Indian banks over $1 billion. Mallya moved to the UK in 2016 amid mounting pressure from lenders and it’s thought that he is currently living in London, where he’s fighting extradition to India on charges of fraud and money laundering. According to the BBC, Mallya was found guilty of contempt in July 2022, accused of failing to disclose his assets. A court in India has sentenced him to four months in jail, yet the mogul still remains in the UK. We wonder if the magnate will ever be able to enjoy his newly-built home…
