Vijay Mallya resigns as United Spirits chairman; to pocket Rs 515 cr from Diageo

NEW DELHI: In a sweetheart deal, flamboyant businessman Vijay Mallya today quit as Chairman of United Spirits after its new majority owner Diageo agreed to pay Rs 515 crore and absolve him of all liabilities over alleged financial lapses at the company founded by his family.

Mallya, who along with his group firms is fighting ‘willful defaulter’ tags given by various lenders in relation to loans taken by long-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, said he would now “spend more time in England” closer to his children.

For son Sidhharth also, he has managed a sweetheart deal, with Diageo agreeing to retain him as Director of the USL Group firm that runs the RCB cricket team of IPL cricket tournament for at least two years.

Mallya himself has agreed to resign from boards of all USL group firms, including as Chairman and non-executive director of United Spirits Ltd (USL). He would become ‘founder emeritus’ of USL and Chief Mentor of RCB.

Announcing his resignation, Mallya said, “The time has now come for me to move on and end all the publicized allegations and uncertainties about my relationship with Diageo and USL.

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