DK Shivakumar wears Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Ferragamo but avoids charter flights, VIP lounges

DK Shivakumar, the new Karnataka Chief Minister, is a man of fine taste who enjoys the luxury of high-end brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Ferragamo unapologetically.

Other than luxury watches, Shivakumar has a penchant for cashmere scarves and high-end pens. Shivakumar never styled himself as a minimalist politician, Economic Times (ET) quoted political analysts.

He lacks hypocrisy when it comes to wearing the things he likes, and has instead been very candid about his taste for luxury. “Do I not have the right to wear a watch of my choice?” he once replied to criticism over his Cartier and Rolex watches.

The Congress leader, although frequently mocked by his political opponents, was once seen wearing a Louis Vuitton stole for a visit to a garbage segregation plant in Bengaluru.

According to an ET report, citing political sources, Shivakumar is inspired by former chief minister SM Krishna when it came to luxury labels.

While the Karnataka Chief Minister-to-be is not the only politician who throws in a scarf to complete his look to add a polished accent without looking overly structured, his scarves are high-end. He prefers Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, Burberry or Fendi.

However, not all his scarves are from couture houses, Shivakumar's party colleague told ET.

“He’s among the richest ministers in the country; he can afford to play with brands,” ET quoted a senior IAS officer as saying.

Shivakumar boasts a total net worth of ₹1,413 crore (over $170 million), which stems from an array of business interests, including real estate, infrastructure development, educational institutions and quarrying.

He is one of the richest legislators in the country, but Shivakumar is also a man of the people, Shankara Guha Dwarakanath, general secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, told ET. “The people of Karnataka are more accepting of a political leader who likes the finer things.”

Shivakumar is also very fond of sunglasses, he said, adding that many of the pricey items that he wears are gifted to him by well-wishers.

Despite his love for luxury, Shivakumar prefers scheduled flights over charters and avoids VIP lounges and likes to sit with regular passengers.

These figures were submitted to the Election Commission during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections. The disclosure marked a significant increase from the ₹840.08 crore in assets declared in 2018.

The affidavit also stated that Shivakumar owned one registered vehicle — a Toyota Qualis, along with luxury watches from brands such as Rolex and Hublot, besides holdings in gold and silver.