http://news.ert.gr/en/c/11/28263.asp


India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, has bought his wife a luxury jet with entertainment cabins, a sky bar and fancy showers for her birthday, a newspaper said on Friday. Ambani, who owns the country’s biggest private company, Reliance Industries Ltd, gifted the $60 million Airbus plane to wife Neeta on her 44th birthday on Thursday, the Mumbai Mirror newspaper said. The jet is custom-fitted with an office and a cabin with game consoles, music systems, satellite television and wireless communication, the report said. Ét also has a master bedroom, a bathroom with a range of showers and a bar with mood lighting. The newspaper said Airbus sources had confirmed the sale and the jet had arrived at New Delhi’s airport and would be brought to Mumbai soon. A spokesman for Reliance, estimated to have a market capitalization of nearly $100 billion, told Reuters, "we are neither denying nor confirming the report".

With business interests ranging from oil to retail and biotechnology, Ambani is not known to shy away from conspicuous consumption. He is building a $1-billion home in India’s financial capital of Mumbai, considered to be one of the world’s most expensive houses, local media reports have said. The 27-storey home, for a family of six, with a helipad, health club and six floors for car parking and 600 staff, has awed India’s rich. But it has also drawn criticism as an edifice to vulgarity in a country where hundreds of millions live in crushing poverty.

An Airbus is Forever...

Quoting OA260 (Thread starter): gifted the $60 million Airbus plane to wife Neeta on her 44th birthday

Whats she gonna get for her 50th?

Quoting Smokeyrosco (Reply 2): Whats she gonna get for her 50th?

Probably a gold plated one...

Quoting PlymSpotter (Reply 3): Quoting Smokeyrosco (Reply 2): Whats she gonna get for her 50th? Probably a gold plated one...

Or the 'Flying Palace' a VIP A380. That would make her Queen of the hill  

Quoting OA260 (Thread starter): He is building a $1-billion home in India's financial capital of Mumbai, considered to be one of the world's most expensive houses, local media reports have said. The 27-storey home, for a family of six, with a helipad, health club and six floors for car parking and 600 staff, has awed India's rich.

Who the heck wants to live in an office building? This guy sure has a large ego.


Just don't let your significant other find out about this or they may expect more from you.   

$1 billion, 27 floor home? What's the point of a house that big?

Quoting Smokeyrosco (Reply 2): Whats she gonna get for her 50th?

Probably a Boeing?  

Quoting 777STL (Reply 6):

To keep your money at home......

Quoting Smokeyrosco (Reply 2): Whats she gonna get for her 50th?

A multi seasonal condo on Mars.

Quoting 777STL (Reply 6): $1 billion, 27 floor home? What's the point of a house that big?

Indian families tend to live together.....with parents, in-laws, etc.....so, the building will probably be well occupied by several close family members apart from wife and children....plus of course, rooms for the hundreds of servants.. 

The Airbus gift compared to some private jets is rather tame, very nice though. The house on the other hand... extravagance at it's worst.

Is he trying to make up for lack of something else????

I mean, shouldn't a businessman realize opportunity cost? what else could you with $1 billion US?

I wonder if I could get 1 million from him.....would he notice?


If I got the plane for my 44th, I'd expect a private island with an airport for my 50th. Complete with it's own 27 story house. 800 servants this time.

$60 million? How cheap! What did she get, some common little 737NG or something?

Quoting Caymanair (Reply 12): mean, shouldn't a businessman realize opportunity cost? what else could you with $1 billion US?

The $ 1 billion house will be his functional business headquarter. Based on current valuation of Reliance and his share of ownership in it, he is worth around $ 50 billion. If the Indian market keeps zooming up, he will soon be the richest man in the world.

Hmmm my birthday is Sunday and I know the only airplane I may get is one of those miniatures lol. I would take a plane ticket somewhere come to think of it lol.

Quoting Trent1000 (Reply 13): What did she get, some common little 737NG or something?

Are you purposely being ignorant (and trying to start a fight) when the article clearly states "Airbus" several times?

If news reports are accurate, the aircraft has been registered as VT-IAH and is currently in BOM. Hopefully Hawk21M can confirm.

View Large View Medium Photo © Jens Schlichting

View Large View Medium Photo © Robert Budde

While googling for this news, there was a separate story about Mr. Ambani & family visiting a temple in Jaipur on Friday. Perhaps they flew their new toy to get there

[Edited 2007-11-02 22:03:02]

He seems rich enough to build a giant conveyor belt to go along with the aircraft.      

Quoting Bongo (Reply 7): Quoting Smokeyrosco (Reply 2): Whats she gonna get for her 50th? Probably a Boeing?

  

The closest thing my wife ever got me was a BAC 1-11. I pretended to like it but eventually returned it for store credit. I wound up with a nice silver pen with the BAC logo on it so I came out on top.  

Quite a move up from the Global Express Mukesh has!

I'd like to be that guys pilot!
just images the income!

Quoting Trent1000 (Reply 13): What did she get, some common little 737NG or something?

Ummm:

Quoting OA260 (Thread starter): An Airbus As Birthday Present

-Mir

Even though Mukesh has gifted the Airbus to his wife, he is the one who is going to be using it the most! A smart move by the man, ain't it?  

Heck, am going to gift my wife a huge LCD TV and a Home Theater system for her next birthday (so that I get to watch Cricket & Formula One on it)    

My biggest question here is: Is she good looking and worth it? Let's see her photos so I can decide if I would buy her this if she was mine and I could afford it.

Quoting Gr8Circle (Reply 10): Indian families tend to live together.....with parents, in-laws, etc.....so, the building will probably be well occupied by several close family members apart from wife and children....plus of course, rooms for the hundreds of servants..

In his case it's going to be only six family members. Mom, wife, Mukesh and the three children.

Quoting SkyexRamper (Reply 5): Who the heck wants to live in an office building? This guy sure has a large ego

On the Contarary,hear him speak,seems very normal.

Quoting WestWing (Reply 17): If news reports are accurate, the aircraft has been registered as VT-IAH and is currently in BOM. Hopefully Hawk21M can confirm

Its in BOM.



regds
MEL

And kids starv in India......

Quoting Comorin (Reply 1): An Airbus is Forever...

Hey now...just because plastic doesn't biodegrade! Shouldn't it be more like a D-jet is forever?

Quoting Trent1000 (Reply 13): What did she get, some common little 737NG or something?

Yep, an Airbus 737NG...want a job at CNN?

Quoting Futurecaptain (Reply 18): He seems rich enough to build a giant conveyor belt to go along with the aircraft.

Finally, someone can put that one to rest! Now for the next question: Can a helicopter take off in a tornado?

Quoting Luv2cattlecall (Reply 29): Now for the next question: Can a helicopter take off in a tornado?

Yes, a helicopter will take off in a tornado all by itself without incident or damage and even without the engine turning. The difficult part is the landing and lack of destruction upon landing.

Wow and tons of people in India are starving. Yeah you can't save them all but talk about a big ego! I mean HUGE
Yeah he can do whatever he wants with his money, but $1 billion? For a home?   

Quoting Smokeyrosco (Reply 2): Whats she gonna get for her 50th?

Whats she gonna get for her 50th?

What if for the 50th b'day he decides to replace the wife rather than the gift. I know this is rather cruel but the older they get the younger they prefer them.

Just kidding

Quoting G5ive (Reply 31): Yeah he can do whatever he wants with his money, but $1 billion? For a home?

Think of the property tax on that! He is doing his part to help... Not to mention the 600 people who will have jobs with this monstracity.

Quoting Cobra27 (Reply 28): And kids starv in India......

He is doing more than enough for charity.

Quoting Himmat01 (Reply 34): He is doing more than enough for charity.

While he might be doing a lot for charity, to "say more then enough" is rather very subjective.

Am sure Leahy was the one who sold the airplane... and he must so proud of himself

sounds spoiled..

people dieing everywere and he is more concerned about himself and his 1 billion house...give me a break


doesnt sound like a good person.

Quoting G5ive (Reply 31): Wow and tons of people in India are starving. Yeah you can't save them all but talk about a big ego! I mean HUGE Yeah he can do whatever he wants with his money, but $1 billion? For a home? spit

Most of the posts on this subject come from people who know little or nothing about the person being discussed.....the Ambani's are the largest industrial house in India and are known to be generous donors to charity....they employ thousands of people and have made several thousands of investors very very rich....Mukesh's father was the pioneer of mass stock market interest in India, which was once restricted to a select few brokers....as such, the family gives back a lot to the community and continues to do so....

As for the extravagance, some seem to be almost saying that Mukesh is the first billionaire in the world to live extravagantly!! One could point out umpteen number of examples in the west, who live extravagantly and do absolutely nothing in the way of charity....and then there are the umpteen examples in the west, of rich people who donate selflessly to various causes......whether the Ambani's display of wealth is excessive or not, is something subjective....zeroing in on the 27 storey building, the $bn tag and the gifted plane and drawing conclusions from that is extremely one-sided......

Moreover, the point that an India billionaire should not spend money like this, because there are kids starving in India, etc., is a favorite topic of most in the west....however, it is critical to note that this family has been one of the leaders in the current economic boom in India, bringing employment and wealth to millions literally..

As pointed out, the 27 storeyed building will probably be partly office and partly residential and not just one huge residential building as the reporters have successfully lead us all to believe....further, considering that property prices in Mumbai are at all-time high levels, even the most ordinary apartments in the city command astonishing prices today...

And lastly, in typical Ambani style, Mukesh has 'gifted' this plane to his wife, which as pointed out, will be mostly used by Mukesh himself for his business travel.....I'm quite sure there must be some income tax benefit somewhere in this deal....so, he gets the publicity as well as the tax benefit   

Once again, I'm not trying to justify the extravagance....just giving the "other side" of the picture...

Quoting N68TLcaptain (Reply 21): I'd like to be that guys pilot! just images the income!

When people have the kind of money this guy does, they are usually major cheapskates when it comes to giving other people money.

True.
Most comments about Mukesh Ambani are from People not aware of what he does for charity.
His personality is of a very simple person too.

India has its problems & One M.A. cannot solve all of it,but a small bit & thats what he does.
regds
MEL

I think i will ask for a 787 for my 40th birthday  

Quoting Cricket (Reply 20): Quite a move up from the Global Express Mukesh has!

View Large View Medium

Photo © Ben Wang

Yes, and with a smarter, updated livery too. From the title on the front of the A319, it seems Airbus is now calling their entire private line above the Elite and below the A380 as "Prestige". Was "Airbus Corporate Jet" dropped to just refer to the company entity handling these private and corporate sales?

Quoting Vivekman2006 (Reply 24): Even though Mukesh has gifted the Airbus to his wife, he is the one who is going to be using it the most! A smart move by the man, ain't it?

LOL....smart man . Sounds like when my Dad bought the family our first computer years ago!!! We couldnt get him off it.

Anyone aware of the cost comparism with this to the ACJ of VJM.
regds
MEL

Quoting Ps76 (Reply 19):

Now are you the REAL Ps76? (you are aware of the issue with your user name? "Logged In As Ps76 - Except That I Am Not Ps76" in Site Related)

Quoting Gr8Circle (Reply 38):

Excellent post! I was hoping someone would save me the trouble of reminding people that what he is doing is not bad or evil or even selfish, its just life on a different scale. He's just spending his money, buying the things he needs, and being normal. People with this level of wealth just live life on a different scale than most but what we all do with our money is our own business, our own decision. BTW what are taxes like in India, I can't imagine they are lower than in the USA where taxes are, in general, lower than most of the industrialized world. I know there is a constant discussion here in the USA of what is "fair share" of taxes for people to pay.

Tug

In India the rich are filthy rich... and the poor are dirt poor. The guy could do something for the needy instead of wasting a billion on a house. India's poor lower caste are forever destined to live in poverty. India's caste system is very cruel.

Quoting Tonyban (Reply 46): In India the rich are filthy rich... and the poor are dirt poor. The guy could do something for the needy instead of wasting a billion on a house. India's poor lower caste are forever destined to live in poverty. India's caste system is very cruel.

Why do you always single out the rich in India?....the same can be said for the rich anywhere in the world.....a lot of the wealth generated by western nations today is from exports to developing countries like India....and once again, you have not read a word of the post above.....when you say "The guy could do something for the needy instead of wasting a billion on a house"....I have mentioned that the Ambani's are one of the largest donors to charity and THE largest creators of jobs and wealth in the private sector....moreover, a billion dollar house in Mumbai is not really as big a deal today as it would have been a few years ago, given the sky high property prices there today....

Best thing to do is educate yourself about the person and country you are commenting on, before passing judgement...  

Quoting Tonyban (Reply 46): The guy could do something for the needy instead of wasting a billion on a house

What makes you think he does not.What he spends on himself is just a small percentage.

Quoting Tonyban (Reply 46): India's caste system is very cruel.

You need to educate yourself with India of the 2007 & not link to remote areas.
regds
MEL

Quoting Tonyban (Reply 46): In India the rich are filthy rich... and the poor are dirt poor.

America by the end of this century... unless some serious changes are made to how we do things here.

Back on topic though: what a nice gift! It's a shame he cant find something more constructive to do with his money than build such a large home, but if we all had that much money im sure we'd spend a lot of it like that ourselves. I still think he should help India out by at least speaking out and starting/supporting programs to give the poor jobs and a decent income.