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TAGTIK NEWS - TO THE POINT

Lavish 122-meter villa built by billionaire, yet never lived in

byMelissa Hekkers
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16 May 2025 08h00
aerial view of city buildings during night time
© Unsplash

A dizzying story. While building his mansion on the roof of a 122-meter high skyscraper, billionaire Vijay Mallya is likely to be extradited from the UK, following a request from the Indian government.

It's at the top of the "Kingfisher Tower" in the UB City district of Bengaluru (India) that the businessman chose to "install" his luxury home. The billionaire in question invested 20 million dollars... And although the project is impressive, the billionaire may never be able to enjoy it!

No hiding place in the UK

Indeed, the man is involved in the Panama Papers and the Paradise Papers cases (2016 - 2017). Since 2017, he has also been pursued by the police for numerous offences, including the illegal diversion of funds between companies, tax fraud, and money laundering. The man's fate is currently in the hands of the English justice system. Tom Tugendhat, British Minister of Security, declares: "We both (the UK and India) have legal procedures to follow. But the British government is absolutely clear: we have no intention of becoming a place where those who seek to evade justice can hide."

A real challenge

While Vijay Mallya is detained, the 3716 square meter mansion is beginning to take shape. According to the president of Prestige Estates Project who has taken part in the prestigious project: "It was a challenge to build the mansion on a huge overhang at this height, but we made sure to build it exactly as it was designed. It's a complex structure and finishing work is ongoing."

(MH with Raphaël Liset - Source: RTBF - Illustration: ©Unsplash)