Former billionaire Anil Ambani rejected a chose’s remark that he lived a “lavish life-style” as he confronted questions on his belongings from legal professionals appearing for a trio of Chinese language banks.

Ambani was giving proof by way of video link for the primary time from Mumbai, in a English lawsuit over a dispute stemming from a defaulted mortgage. The tycoon, who has beforehand mentioned his web value is “zero,” was questioned about his spending and his funds, together with greater than $100 million in household loans.

Three state-controlled Chinese language banks have pursued Ambani for greater than $700 million in a London courtroom, arguing that they supplied funding to his Reliance Communications Ltd. in 2012 with the situation that he personally assure the debt. After successful a ruling requiring Ambani to make the funds, the banks have but to obtain any funds.

“He’s preventing tooth and nail to stop having to pay us a penny,” the banks’ legal professional, Bankim Thanki, mentioned of Ambani.

Ambani, the youthful brother of Asia’s wealthiest man, mentioned {that a} choose was flawed to say he’d lived a lavish life-style, insisting that he was a marathon runner who didn’t drink, smoke or gamble.

“I believe I have to put it respectfully in perspective,” Ambani mentioned. “My wants usually are not huge and my life-style may be very disciplined.”

“Any suggestion of a lavish life-style previous, current and future is totally speculative,” he mentioned.

Ambani was accused of placing his belongings out of the attain of his collectors by placing the possession in company entities. The household artwork assortment was owned by his spouse, he mentioned. The luxurious motor yacht, which was used members of the family — however not Ambani himself, who mentioned he suffered from seasickness — was additionally owned by an organization, he mentioned.

Ambani had all the time mentioned he by no means made a private assure — one thing he’d dismissed as an “extraordinary potential private legal responsibility.”

On Friday, Ambani was examined over credit-card spending in luxurious retailers together with Harrod’s that he mentioned was achieved by his mom on his playing cards. He was additionally questioned over a $66 million mortgage supplied by his mom, Kokilaben Ambani, and a $41 million mortgage from his son. He mentioned he couldn’t recall the phrases of the loans however insisted they weren’t presents.

The previous billionaire “has all the time been a easy man of straightforward tastes, opposite to exaggerated perceptions of his flamboyance and lavish life-style,” a spokesman for Ambani mentioned in a press release. “He’s additionally a lifelong vegetarian, teetotaller and non-smoker who would a lot reasonably watch a film at house together with his children than exit in town.”