An Indian-origin millionaire was arrested in the United States this past week after he allegedly tried to set fire to a winery in Saratoga, California. While he was fleeing the scene in a Tesla vehicle, he is said to have crashed into two other cars in the area, according to US officials.
The international report has since identified the man in question as 42-year-old Beri Vikram (or Vikram Beri) of Menlo Park, California. As per a statement by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, the Indian-origin entrepreneur was taken into custody at the Garrod Farms Estate Winery & Stables in Saratoga on December 8 afternoon local time.
Why is Indian-origin millionaire Beri Vikram in the news?
Vikram, who is the founder of BetterLYF Wellness, an online mental health platform, is said to have been behind what the Sheriff’s Office described as a “WILD SCENE IN SARATOGA” on social media. The official statement, as shared on X, Instagram and LinkedIn, suggested that the millionaire entrepreneur attempted to start a fire at the winery, but was ultimately confronted by the establishment’s staff.
Vikram even allegedly threw a wine bottle at the winery’s staff during the purported scuffle, with a picture of the same shared by the officials. As per the statement from the Sheriff’s Office, the mental health entrepreneur then escaped the scene driving a Tesla, which he is said to have intentionally crashed into two cars parked in the area.
Sending one of these vehicles over an embankment, the Indian-origin suspect even drove his own Tesla off the embankment. Refusing to surrender to the authorities, Vikram did not comply “despite several de-escalation attempts,” according to official statement seen on X. Ultimately, deputies had to use pepperball and spray to force him out of the car.
Beri Vikram was later escorted to a hospital for evaluation. As the incident remains under investigation, officials wrote online, “He’ll be booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest.”
WILD SCENE IN SARATOGA
— SantaClaraCoSheriff (@SCCoSheriff) December 8, 2025
Deputies responded Saturday afternoon to Garrod Farms Estate Winery & Stables in @CityofSaratoga after a man reportedly tried to start a fire. When confronted by staff, he threw a wine bottle and fled in a Tesla—intentionally crashing into two parked cars,… pic.twitter.com/bDF2MD8mmr
Who is Beri Vikram?
Vikram is the founder of BetterLYF Wellness. The mental health platform provided online therapy and psychiatric services in India. According to the Daily Mail, he is also the Executive Director of Business Development at FieldKing, a global manufacturer of farm equipment.
The UK news report further cited housing record indicating that his six-bedroom home is worth around $6.6 million.
Back in 2018, he did an interview with Rediff, wherein he recounted his psychologist wife’s clinic being located in a shabby location. “She told me that people preferred to come to that area because the chances of them being seen there were much lesser,” he told the outlet at the time. “In India people like to keep these things low profile because they fear being judged.”
The discussion eventually spurred Vikram to start BetterLYF, an instant anonymous online platform. His Reddif profile detailed that the entrepreneur completed his engineering in the US. Before moving back to India, he worked as a consultant with Deloitte in Chicago.
“I joined the family business and did a year-long MBA with ISB, Hyderabad,” he told Rediff. “But I was always very excited about psychology… When I moved to the USA and was settling into a new culture, I felt home sick. I figured that having a sounding board or getting a new perspective would have really helped me get out of it.”
