Bengaluru entrepreneur's wild bid to rent Mallya's abandoned Kingfisher penthouse goes viral
A Bengaluru entrepreneur has sparked a social media frenzy after asking Vijay Mallya to rent the long-abandoned Kingfisher Towers penthouse. Priyam Raj, a startup founder, wanted to host a birthday party there on 23 March. His public request went viral, gathering over 1.2 million views and countless reactions.
The Kingfisher Towers in Bengaluru have stood empty since 2020. India's Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached the property as part of its money laundering case against Mallya. In 2023, the ED invited bids for a long-term lease of the residential towers, Unity and Harmony, but no tenant has been confirmed by early 2026. The agency still controls all decisions about administration and potential leasing.
The penthouse itself remains unfinished and is tied up in liquidation proceedings for United Breweries Holdings Limited (UBHL). Despite this, Raj expressed willingness to pay any price for a single night's use. He aimed to recreate what he called the 'good old Bangalore energy' in the once-luxurious space. In June 2025, Mallya had mentioned in a podcast that he was working to resolve the legal issues. He also pushed for UBHL's restoration, though no progress has been publicly announced since then.
The viral post has drawn fresh attention to the stalled Kingfisher Towers. The ED continues to oversee the property, with no immediate plans for its future use. For now, the penthouse remains off-limits, caught between legal battles and unresolved financial disputes.
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