Billionaires & their acquisitions: The most expensive buys of 2015

umar Mangalam Birla

Jatia House

Price: Rs 425 crore

In September, Birla emerged as the highest bidder for Jatia House, a sprawling 30,000 square feet bungalow in south Mumbai. His new home stands next to the famous Mehrangir House (Dr Homi Bhabha's previous home, purchased by Smita Crishna's family last year). Reportedly, Birla has no plans to tear the bungalow down. While the family may not move into the property, it could be earmarked for one of his daughters.



Mukesh Ambani

Bulletproof car

Price: Rs 8.5 crore

The country's richest man takes no chances with his security. In May he purchased his most expensive (and secure) car yet — a Rs 1.9 crore BMW 760Li. The car was armoured by BMW Germany, in accordance with Ambani's Z-category security requirement. Thanks to the duty on imported armoured cars, the model cost him four times the usual price.

Sanjiv Goenka

IPL team (Pune franchise)

Price: Rs 16 crore

The businessman from West Bengal now owns the Pune franchise in the Indian Premier League after the bidding concluded earlier this month. Goenka was keen on buying the Kolkata franchise when IPL first started. But he lost out to Shah Rukh Khan. With this acquisition, his dream of being an IPL team owner was realised.

Kiran Nadar

F N Souza's 'Birth'

Price: Rs 27 crore

The painter's iconic work, depicting a pregnant woman in the nude, went from one corporate better half to another at a Christie's auction in New York in September. The seller was rumoured to be Tina Ambani and the buyer, Kiran Nadar, Shiv Nadar's wife. Kiran's bid for 'Birth' helped set a world auction record for the artist. While Tina did not bring the painting back to India after purchasing it (she loaned it to a museum abroad), reports suggest that Kiran may provide it a place in her private museum in Delhi.



Rahul Munjal

J Swaminathan's painting

Price: Rs 58 lakh

Just days before Christie's third auction of Indian art in Mumbai, a Dubai-based art house alleged that two of the paintings for sale were fake. Of these two, S H Raza's 'Bindu', which had a price tag of Rs 15 crore, remained unsold. The other, Swaminathan's untit led piece, was bought by Delhi-based industrialist Rahul Munjal, who bid for the piece in person. The painting fetched a price lower than its estimated cost of Rs 60 - 80 lakh.

Rahul Sharma

A solitaire for fiancée, Asin

Price: Rs 6 crore



He bought her a diamond and acquired her promise to be his wife. As acquisitions go, this one's priceless. Sharma and his Bollywood actorfiancée, Asin, have been making waves since the actor first revealed their relationship. The duo has all the trappings to be corporate India's pin-up couple. Not surprisingly, their wedding is one of the most anticipated social events of the coming year.

Uday Kotak

An 11,000 sq ft apartment in Mumbai

Price: Rs 55 crore

Looks like the billionaire banker has plans of cutting his morning commute short. Currently a south Mumbai resident, Kotak may call Mumbai's suburban business district of Bandra Kurla Complex home in the new year. Reportedly, he bought an 11,000 square feet house in the area earlier this year. His bank's headquarters and his corner office are very close to the property.


Also Read: Asin and Rahul Sharma's 'save-the-date' card is a golden affair!