Vikram Chatwal
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| Born: | 1st November, 1971 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
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Vikram Chatwal (born 1 November 1971) is an American hotelier of Indian Sikh heritage. April 1999, at the age of 28, he created "Hautel Couture by Vikram Chatwal" which is an independent hotel group of 9 luxury hotels in 5 cities, valued at $350 million, with the flagship Dream Hotel. Chatwal has attended the United Nations International School in New York City, has a Bachelors Degree from Wharton Business School and has worked with Morgan Stanley. His father, Sant Singh Chatwal, founded the $1 billion chain of Hampshire Hotels and Resorts.
Chatwal has a reputation as a wealthy Manhattan socialite and playboy, and has dated celebrities such as Gisele Bundchen and Kate Moss. He was named as one of the world's most eligible bachelors by the magazine Radar and a BBC T.V. program. Chatwal was the first Sikh in a leading role, as 'Nishan' in the movie One Dollar Curry. Chatwal was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year at the first South Asia Media Awards in New York, June 2005, and was on the cover of Forbes Asia, June 19 2006[1]. A recent New York Daily Gossip Column claims that "New York's Turban Cowboy[2] has become "BHAT"-MAN driving around Manahttan in a 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren that emerges from his latest Night Hotel[3], NOC-TURNING around and unexpectedly appearing at swank soirees.
In 2005, it was announced that Vikram Chatwal would marry Indian model Priya Sachdev. The wedding took place in February 2006, amidst hyped headlines calling it "The Wedding of the Century" and "India's most Extravagant Wedding to date." Covered by 100 journalists in 30 languages and countries, including The International Herald Tribune[4] which attributes India's foray into "global cool" to Vikram's personal endeavors and close knit celebrity friends. Attending the wedding reception in Delhi, India, were steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, the world's fifth richest man, and former American President Bill Clinton. Clinton and his family are close to the Chatwal family and often visit their residence for private dinners. It is said that Chatwal's Bombay Palace restaurant in Washington is among the favourite eating joints of the former President's family.
