Inside 'billionaire' gypsy Alfie Best's family

Release time：2024-05-22 11:21:45 Source：Planet Pages news portal

He's a millionaire who says he's on a mission to improve the living standards of people less well-off than him. 

And now he remains on track to achieve his lifelong ambition of becoming Britain's first Romany Gypsy billionaire, with his net worth climbing £202 million in the past year to a staggering £947 million. 

His wealth is so immense it trumps that of J. K Rowling, Andrew Lloyd-Weber and the Beckhams. The creator of arguably the world's favourite fantasy series, Harry Potter, fell short of Alfie's fortune by £2million at £945million, according to the Sunday Times' annual rich list.

Alife, 54, made headlines in May last year after releasing a documentary delving into his rags-to-riches tale, which also introduced his daughter, Elizabeth Best, 28, who helps run his multiple businesses despite leaving school at 11.

In a true testament to the idiom, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, the 54-year-old's son, Alfie Best Jr, also followed his father's footsteps into the world of business and purchased a night club by the age of 16 - until last year, when he left the family business and converted to Islam.

So, how did Alfie go from being born in a caravan on the side of a road in Leicester to earning millions and paving the way for his children to do the same?

Alfie Best (pictured) is on set to become a billionaire, with his current net worth trumping J.K Rowling's, but how did he go from being born in a caravan on the side of a road in Leicester to earning millions and paving the way for his children to do the same?

The 54-year-old started his business career in his teens selling cars and vans, before setting up a group of mobile phone stores when he was 20. 

Now, more than 30 years later, he runs Wyldecrest Parks, which operates 95 mobile home parks across the UK and is worth £700 million.

The entrepreneur has even reached the point where he can even afford to buy his own £4.5 million helicopter designed by Aston Martin.

It's a dramatic change from his childhood growing up in the traveller community, but Mr Best said that even with his extreme wealth, he knows what's most important.

He told The Sun: 'This genuinely isn't about earning any more money. I'm of the opinion that once you have made five or ten million, then you do not need any more money than that.

'That's all the money in the world as far as I am concerned because that allows you to do everything.

'After that, it's about actually building something that makes a difference. I get a lot of criticism but I've got broad shoulders. You have just got to take it and accept it and realise I am lucky.'

That's not stopped him from splashing the cash, with his lavish purchase, a £4.5million helicopter, a purchase that came after her turned down a £950 million offer from a hedge fun for his parks business. 

Alfie's daughter, Elizabeth Best (pictured left), followed in her father's footsteps and joined the family business 

After pumping over £60,000 into a nightclub at the age of 16, Alfie Best Jr found 'inner peace' by converting to Islam 

Alfie had two children with his first wife, Rachel (pictured with Alfie Best Jr). He is now married to Emily Jane Bruce, who keeps a low profile and did not appear in the documentary 

Alfie, who recently emigrated to Monaco, splashed the cash on a helicopter designer by Aston Martin 

In 2015, when he was worth a £200 million, Mr Best told MailOnline he didn't 'feel successful'.

'What is successful? I'm still working stuff out as much as the next person,' he said.

'I am in a lucky enough position to know that I made some good choices but, the truth is, I'm a bit of a dunce.

'I get up every morning and I pinch myself and thank my lucky stars that I've had the luck to be where I am.'

Yet Alfie - who has lunched with former Tory Prime Minister John Major and boxer Mike Tyson - still describes himself as frugal, amid fears he could still lose everything he has worked for in a flash.

In a nod to his humility, he even turned down a request to be included in the Sunday Times Rich List in 2011.

'I never spend beyond my means. Everything that I buy is to sell - from the cars that I drive, to the houses I own. And I know the value of everything I have,' he said.

'Don't get me wrong, of course I have enough to be comfortable. But I have lived through a recession and live in fear of being in that position again.

'When you have been through harrowing recessions, it changes you. Even though it was 25 years ago, I remember it like it was yesterday.'

The entrepreneur owns Wyldecrest Parks - with 95 mobile home parks across the United Kingdom 

The 54-year-old, who is no stranger to luxury cars, also owns a golf club in Herefordshire 

That recession came in the early 1990s, just four years after Mr Best had launched his first business - a van hire centre and dealership in Forest Gate - at the age of 16.

He had learned the salesman ropes as a ten-year-old, when he conducted door-to-door sales as part of his father's Tarmac business.

'Have you ever heard of the expression 'you talk as fast as a Gypsy'?' he said.

'When I was with my dad trying to sell as a youngster, I had 30 seconds to say my bit before the door would be closed in my face. That taught me a lot about the basics of being a good salesman.'

But, four years after launching his first business, Mr Best was plunged into financial crisis. With a hefty mortgage on his home and business, and a nationwide recession, he almost lost everything.

He said: 'I had never been through a recession at that point and I could not understand how bad things were going to get.

'Every day that came was a new learning day that I had not been through before and I had no choice but to draw from my experiences. Of course, it was soul-destroying.'

Mr Best said he managed to hang on 'by the skin of my teeth', renting out his home, increasing his bank loan and sleeping in his car for three months as he desperately tried to turn around his fortunes.

When things finally hit rock bottom, Mr Best knew he needed to get another job. He noticed that the two businesses which appeared to be flourishing during the downturn were takeaways and phone shops.

The entrepreneur who relocated to Monaco revealed exclusively to MailOnline that he has no intention of moving back to England  

So he waltzed into a nearby phone shop in East Ham, begged for a job as the tea boy, and spent three months picking up tips.

Three months later, he launched his own mobile phone business with the help of a loan. Within 18 months, he had 13 shops across London.

'I made the right decision at the time,' he said. 'I remember when I went to see my bank manager, his exact words were: 'You are an extremely unorthodox businessman'.

After selling that business, Mr Best moved into commercial property and now has up to 80 acres of industrial units spread around the country.

Some years later, his wife Emily suggested he revert to something of which he had more experience and knowledge. He decided to embark on a business in the motor home industry, buying his first one in 2001 for £1.7 million.

Unlike other members of the family, Alfie's wife Emily maintain a relatively low profile.  

That business has gradually expanded and now Wyldecrest Parks runs 95 mobile home parks across the country.

The business tycoon has also dabbled into the world of golf - purchasing a course in Hertfordshire in 2018. 

It's not unusual for the businessman to travel between his mobile home park locations via helicopter 

He has since emigrated to Monaco, and exclusively told MailOnline he has no intention of moving back to the UK.

His new home is a stone's throw away from the location where he premiered his documentary - Gypsy Billionaire: A Great British Success Story.

Taking to Cannes Film Festival last year, Alfie showcased the documentary, which went on to top Prime Video's European chart, beating Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour.

It introduced Alfie's daughter - Elizabeth Best, 28, and how she's gone on to take after her father by venturing into the world of business, despite leaving school at 11.

Elizabeth works as a mobile home park manager for Wyldecrest Parks, the £700 million business founded by Alfie.

As she appeared in the film about her family, Elizabeth revealed her plan to help her father run the family business - despite leaving school when she  was just 11.

She revealed in the film that, at the end of primary school, she had a discussion with her parents about her future and they came to the mutual decision that she would not continue her schooling, The Sun reports.

Elizabeth revealed that, when she was old enough to drive, she took herself to Chelsea and Kensington College to study millinery design instead of a standard secondary school education. 

Elizabeth Best, 27 (pictured), has appeared in the film Billionaire Gypsy which documents her father Alfie Best's rise to the top

Elizabeth, 27 (pictured), says she wants to follow in her father's footsteps after he achieved enormous business success

These days Elizabeth runs one of her father's residential parks in Windsor, and she described in the film why she is so passionate about her job.

'We grew up on a park, we grew up learning and interacting and spending time and making relationships with the residents,' she explained.

Elizabeth described the strong sense of community she gained growing up, where she had a close relationship with her neighbours.

She likened the atmosphere to 'living with a load of grandparents'. 

Like most parents, Alfie, who has previously had brushes with death, wants his children to steer clear of negative influences.

'Bad people are bad people with bad thoughts and bad intentions and that's the only thing I would want my children to stay away from. 

'Good people create good situations and good situations create good lives and good lives create good legacies and good legacies create history.'

As she went on to lay out her ambitions for growing her father's empire and continuing his work, Alfie gushed over his daughter's talents and ambition.

He insisted Elizabeth did not just walk into a 'board room seat' - rather, she worked hard to climb up the ladder.

'She's meticulously and slowly worked through it. And she's worked from the ranks up,' he says.

Meanwhile, Alfie's son – Alfie Best Jr appeared in the reality show My Big Fat Gypsy Fortune on Channel 4, as well as ITV's Absolutely Ascot.

The 25-year-old, heir to the family fortune, regularly shares snaps of his expensive cars and luxury lifestyle with his 190,000 Instagram followers.

Talking on The Blue Tick Show, Alfie revealed that honed his business skills from childhood.

'I used to sell sweets in school, I always had a business mind,' he said. Alfie Jr added: ''My dad's advice is worth more than any money he could give me,' he told the podcast.

Using his father's business mindset, when he saw another child at school selling sweets, he devised a plan to outsell them.

He said: 'They was buying their sweets from the sweet shop. I found out where the cash and carry were. I took it to the next level. I needed to undercut them.'

At the age of 16, Alfie Jr made his first major move into the world of business and pumped £60,000 into a nightclub.

In conversation with The Sun, he said: 'I thought I could turn it around and jumped in head-first, learning on the job. Not a good idea. It did all right in the end, but only just.'

Alfie Best Jr (pictured on pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia) said he found peace after becoming a Muslim

Alfie Best Jr is said to prayer in Arabic five times a day, and shares snaps of him doing so on Instagram  

But things took a surprising turn last year when Alfie found 'inner peace' and converted to Islam.

While he's still a budding businessman, he made a string of lifestyle changes after joining the religion and claimed to have found 'inner peace', according to Islam Channel.

Since taking up the faith, Alfie, who believes he is the first Muslim in the traveller community, prays five times a day in Arabic and completed a pilgrimage to Mecca.

His conversion came after he flew to Cornwall for lunch with friends, according to The Mirror.

One of his friends had to fly back early because his mother was declaring her faith to Allah at a Lewisham Mosque. 

Accompanying his friend to the London-based Mosque, Alfie experienced first-hand the benefits of religion.

He revealed to The Sun: 'We were going for food afterwards, so it was either sit outside in the car or take my shoes off and go into the mosque. My friend cried as he watched his mum take her Shahada.

'And I felt something I haven't experienced before in any religious place. It made my whole body tingle like this is right for me.

'Something was trying to either contact me or something was trying to reach me. 'It was very, very strange but in a good way. I felt I belonged there.'

This year, Alfie travelled to Mecca for Hajj - an annual Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Saudi Arabia. The pilgrimage is mandatory for all Muslims to undertake at least once in their lives.

The son of Britain's richest gypsy kept his Instagram followers up to date with his journey, for example, sharing instances of when he was laying out his prayer mat.

Elsewhere, Alfie Jr still maintains a glamorous lifestyle - filled with expensive race cars, luxury holidays, and lavish meals out.

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