Who

Sant Singh Chatwal is the owner of Hampshire Hotels & Resorts, the Bombay Palace chain of restaurants, and a part-owner of the News Times India. He's the father of playboy hotelier Vikram Chatwal.

Backstory

Born in Punjab, India, Chatwal had a rather glamorous youth: He became an Indian fighter pilot in his 20s, married a prominent actress, and then moved to Ethiopia where he became close friends with the nation's leader, Emperor Haile Selassie. After Selassie was overthrown in 1974, Chatwal moved his family to Montreal and opened his first restaurant, which he named Bombay Palace. A decade or so later, he opened a second location on 52nd Street and expanded even further when he bought the moribund Beefsteak Charlie's chain from restaurateur Dennis Riese and converted them into yet more Bombay Palaces.

Of note

Chatwal controls 11 branches of Bombay Palace these days, but it's his Hampshire hotel chain—with 16 locations worldwide—that's the bigger moneymaker. Twelve of the properties are located in Manhattan, but he didn't make his millions selling upscale rooms to high-rollers. Chatwal's portfolio includes budget-priced accommodations like the Comfort Inn and the Quality Hotel; his three marquee properties—the trendy boutique hotels Dream, Time, and Night—are managed by his son Vikram. There's more in the works, of course. He and Vikram recently teamed up with Geoffrey Zakarian and Lotus's David Rabin on a midtown hotel called Lamb's Club, which is set to open in August 2008. Chatwal Sr. is also planning an incursion into southern India, and says he plans to open 27 lodgings in the region by the end of 2011.

Scandal

Chatwal's financial dealings have landed him in hot water on several occasions over the years. In 2000, he settled a case with the FDIC, which charged him as part of a fraudulent loan scheme. India's Central Bureau of Investigation charged Chatwal with defrauding the State Bank of India to the tune of $9 million. In 2001, Chatwal was arrested while on a tour of India with Bill Clinton. After posting $32,000 as bail, he fled and returned to the U.S.

Campaign trail

Chatwal is a longstanding F.O.B. (He was a major donor to Bill Clinton when he ran for president and donated to Hillary Clinton's campaign for Senate as well.) The former prez even traveled to India to attend Chatwal's son Vikram's wedding.

Personal

He and his wife, Daman, live in a 7,000-square-foot, 45th-floor penthouse on East 93rd Street, which they purchased in 1987 for $1.8 million. In addition to Vikram, they have a son named Vivek, who also works for the family business.