Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, who claims he has done nothing wrong in the legal cases pending against him in India, has said that he was “born with a diamond spoon”, his lifestyle is like that of a king, he travels everywhere and Rs 10-12 crore will not last him even a week.
In an interview in London, the industrialist (who founded the Indian Premier League) said that he would not change his lifestyle for anyone and that he has made money in his family business in innovative ways. He said, “I have done nothing wrong… I told you that I was born with a diamond spoon. When you accuse me of taking a few crore rupees, I earn more than that in a day in my life. We are the biggest… Our company is very big across the world. Its market capitalization value is Rs 2.5 lakh crore.”
He further said, “I am a part of it. This business is mine. I have gifted it to my children. Now it belongs to my children. My children support me. I live in a very beautiful house. I live the most wonderful life. I travel everywhere. How do you think I am able to do all this? What kind of thing is this? I took Rs 10 or 12 crore… This is not even a week for me. Well, I was born like this. Why should I live my life for someone else? My father also did not live his life for anyone else.
Answering a question, Lalit Modi described businessman Vijay Mallya (who is facing Enforcement Directorate cases in India) as his friend. He said, “He is my friend. Vijay is a different story. Okay? I don’t know what his problem is. But it was related to banks and things like that. You know, we never borrowed from anybody. I never took money from anybody. I never had money to borrow from anybody. I just gave money. I just made payments, and we don’t have any bank loans or anything like that on any of our businesses, or government contracts, etc. We’re a consumer brand. We make Marlboro. It’s the number one brand in the world.” Lalit Modi also talked about some of the ventures he has started, which includes Modi Entertainment Networks.
He asked, “All this was created by me. The point is that I have earned crores and billions of dollars in my life. So when you… if I have earned all this myself – not the Modi family’s money, but I have earned it myself, okay – then why can’t I spend it?” An alleged case of money laundering is going on against Lalit Modi by the Enforcement Directorate. In 2013, the BCCI banned him for life on charges of “indiscipline and misconduct”.
He served as the founder, first chairman and league commissioner of the IPL, and oversaw the tournament from 2008 to 2010. He also served as the Chairman of the Champions League Twenty20 from 2008 to 2010, Vice-President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from 2005 to 2010, President of the Rajasthan Cricket Association in two separate terms, and Vice-President of the Punjab Cricket Association.