Drinks magnate, Formula 1 boss, and owner of his own Airline, Dr Vijay Mallya is one of the world's richest and most successful entrepreneurs The man they call "The King of Good Times" shows DAMON SYSON around his (rumoured) Euro 43 million island home, and explains why being a party animal is good for business

It's a balmy evening in the baie de Cannes and on the island of Sainte-Marguerite the party is already in full swing. Two hundred guests are expected tonight, ferried from the mainland in two speedboats and a cruiser.u00a0

There is only one residential home on this, the largest of the four islands of Lerins, and it's here we're headed.

Snaking through the wooded nature reserves in a luxury people carrier, we pull up next to a 17th Century stone wall, originally built on the orders of Cardinal Richelieu. Then, passing through an archway, we make our way on foot along a path flanked by soaring palms and tropical gardens, before arriving at the pool area.



Here, the scene looks truly enchanted, with marquees, floating candles, statues festooned with tropical flowers and three cocktail bars. As we arrive, a kilted master of ceremonies is busy knocking the tops off champagne magnums with a sabre.

Dr Vijay Mallya, drinks magnate, airline owner, Formula 1 boss, and legendary bon viveur, is holding court by the marble balustrade, surveying this historical estate which he purchased last year for a rumoured Euro 43 million.

In the flesh, the man they call "The Branson of Bangalore" and "The King of Good Times" is instantly recognisable. His mane of grey hair has been tamed but he still wears the trademark diamond solitaire earrings and a well-trimmed goatee.

The most surprising thing, given the fact that he's one of the wealthiest men on the planet (Forbes magazine ranked him 962nd last year with a net worth of $1.2 billion) is that Mallya appears to have no visible security and circulates freely amongst the guests, chatting with anyone he encounters.

Then again, socialising is Mallya's raison d'u00eatre. He is a legendary host with a reputation for throwing some of the most lavish parties at the Monaco Grand Prix, (which is of course the spiritual home of the lavish party).

He's also a notable collector of art, cars, watches and other valuable items. In March this year, he made headlines by successfully bidding for some of Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings at a New York auction at a cost of US$1.8 million.

Tonight, as with most aspects of Mallya's life, business is never far away. "We firmly believe in entertainment being a critical part of our marketing and brand enhancement strategy. So whether it's my yacht or any one of my homes, entertainment and networking are an integral part of the way we do business," he explains.

The aim of tonight's festivities is ostensibly to promote Whyte and Mackay, the venerable Scotch whisky distillers he bought in 2007 for a princely sum of US$1.2 billion, (and which he still owns 100 per cent of, in spite of rumours that the company was up for sale).u00a0

Our interview is scheduled to happen at the party, but Mallya is having such a good time it's hard to drag him away. Finally, with everyone else dancing to wild Scottish music, courtesy a bearded band who resemble extras from Braveheart, I'm led to a quieter area of the property where Mallya is sitting on a small terrace under a canopy of 50-foot high palms.

"One of the reasons I bought this property is because it's so private, so tranquil," he says, lighting a cafe cru00e8me cigarillo. "At the end of the day when I need to switch off, recharge my batteries... well, here it is."

Even for a man who owns 41 other prime properties around the world, Le Grand Jardin is a spectacular setting for a party. The walled property is made up of a large formal garden and three buildings: the Governor's House, the House of Metayers and The Tower. The whole estate was built between the 12th and 17th centuries and spent over a decade on the market waiting for a suitable buyer.u00a0

Competition to purchase the property was fierce, from Russian Oligarchs and celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Nice Matin (newspaper based in Nice, France) suggested that Mallya was victorious thanks to his special relationship with the French government and the fact that his airline, Kingfisher, is a major Airbus customer.

He's clearly keen to install himself as an integral member of the Cote d'Azur's glittering community.

Although he spends more time in the air than on terra firma, and is rarely in one country for more than a few days, Mallya is fiercely proud of his Indian roots. He's a member of the US India business council, and has served for six years in the Indian Parliament, and yet his three children were all born and bred in the US and hold US passports.

'I owe a lot to my country'
Has Mallya himself ever thought of applying for US citizenship? "With the number of visas I've had to accumulate in my passport over the years," he nods, "People have said to me, 'Why the hell don't you just get yourself a US passport and be done with it?' I'm also a permanent resident in the UK I'm granted indefinite leave, but I haven't taken a British passport either. I've stuck with my Indian passport because I have a certain element of patriotism in me. I am what I am because my country gave me the foundation and the base to grow this business and provided me with the resources to expand overseas. So I owe a lot to my country."

'I was branded a playboy'
Now 53, Vijay Mallya became chairman of the UB Group in 1983, at the age of 27. Vijay Mallya had just arrived in New York (on October 13, 1983), when he heard that his father had dropped dead of a heart attack with a glass of champagne in his hand, aged 59. The media were quick to put the new chairman under the microscope, many doubting he had what it took to take on the huge responsibility left to him. "I was branded a playboy," he says. "But what 27-year-old doesn't like fast cars, discos and planes?"

Mallya's masterstroke was realising that far from having to curtail his activities, appearing to be a playboy was a cunning way of pushing his brand. Like Richard Branson, he became his brand's walking advertisement, rather than having to hand over large sums of money to a David Beckham or a Lewis Hamilton.

"Other brands hire brand ambassadors," he explains. "Brands hire alternative mediums to promote their brands. I am my own brand ambassador. And there's nothing wrong with that. Richard Branson does a fabulous job of being the brand ambassador for Virgin. Companies pay multi-million dollars for famous Bollywood stars to endorse their brands. For me it's free. I endorse the brand. And I get as much press as any other Bollywood actor, and that's proven by scientific methodology and research."