Britain’s Richest Gypsy Alfie Best reveals why his wealth dipped by £3m this year & says ‘I put my life on the line’
BRITAIN'S richest gypsy Alfie Best has revealed how he "put his life on the line" in business as he climbed five places on the Rich List despite his total wealth dipping.
The caravan park titan was worth an estimated £947 million but he has dropped down slightly to £944m, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
The 54-year-old, who founded mobile home company Wyldecrest Parks, is currently number 169 on the Rich List.
However, Alfie and his family were number 174 on the high-profile register last year and have managed to rise five places despite the fall in total fortune.
Now, Alfie has revealed that even being placed on the Rich List is a "badge of honour" - accepting that setbacks in business are part of the job.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun he said: "Being a businessman is not easy, being an entrepreneur is not easy.
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"You put your life on the line. You put your house on the line. You have to give up an awful lot.
"It's not a lottery win - it is time, effort, and basically sacrifices of your family to to achieve goals you eventually benefit from."
Alfie went on to explain why he thought a number of entrepeneurs saw falling net worth this year and how he rose a number of places despite his fortune taking a hit.
The property tycoon said: "The economy is not in growth. A lot of people assume that this is cash in the banks- it's not.
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"The fact that I'm up five places but down £3million. That really is telling on how the UK is doing with its entrepreneurs and businesses that we are actually decreasing wealth by 3 or 4 million.
"It's shocking even to me.
"We're no longer looking to invest in the UK until there is a complete change of leadership that endorses and supports businesses."
Giving advice to budding entrepeneurs about the rigours of business he said: "Obviously, there's always setbacks as an entrepeneur in business. You must realise how handle it deal with it and it's like an elastic band.
"Stretch it a little bit at a time and it strengthens the band. It's only when you don't stretch it then it becomes brittle and snaps quickly.
"The idea is to stretch yourself every day."
Alfie's whopping wealth climbed by £202 million the year before last - meaning he is well on track to becoming Britain’s first Romany Gypsy billionaire.
On top of his holiday property empire, Alfie is also the owner of non-league East Thurrock United, which he bought when the semi-pro football club ran into financial trouble during Covid.
However, Alfie made the decision to leave the UK and live as a tax exile in Monaco in April 2024.
Before moving, he went on a selling spree, selling off eight supercars worth millions and his £4.5million seven-seater Airbus ACH130 helicopter, styled by Aston Martin, which boasts the production number 007 and registration G-YPSE on the fuselage.
Alfie now is renting a two-bedroom apartment in Monaco overlooking the famous Formula One course until he gets residency in the millionaires’ playground, where residents don’t pay tax.
The property tycoon describes himself as an “old-school, blood and blisters businessman”.
Alfie will be hosting the Best Wealth Unlocked event in the Milennium Hotel, London, on June 28 and 29 where those with a passion for business can get the best tips and tricks on how to be a successful entrepeneur.
Guest speakers include Joe Foster, founder of Reebok shoes and founder of Pimlico Plumbers Charlie Mullins.
He did not start his life in immense wealth and was born into a Romani gypsy family.
Alfie was born in a caravan beside a road near Leicester on April 12, 1970.
By the age of 10 he had started work — selling Tarmac door-to-door with his dad.
He was a car dealer when he was 17, moving on to selling vans before and mobile phones.
The dad-of-two is now the chairman of Wyldecrest Parks — the largest holiday and residential park company in Europe.
His company has around 16,000 residents on over 100 sites in the UK, Europe and the US and employs 380 people.
His mother Jane Best always believed her son would do well in the future.
Jane told The Sun in an exclusive: "When Alfie was a little boy, he come to me and said ‘that man got a cracking car over there. It’s a big Rolls-Royce. I said ‘You know what, you save your money and you’ll have a Rolls-Royce one day’.”
Alfie definitely heeded his mum's advice, he grew up to be a business tycoon with an empire worth around £1.2 billion.
He made on the Rich List last year, earning a spot with 350 other millionaires and billionaires.
This year's list marks the largest drop in billionaires in the guide's 37-year history, with just 156 making the list compared to its peak of 177 in 2022.
reveals the country's 350 richest individuals who share a net worth of £772.8 billion, a three per cent decrease from last year.
It evaluates factors including identifiable wealth like land and property, assets like art and racehorses, as well as shares in publicly quoted companies - it doesn't include bank account figures.
Inside Alfie's lavish £100k superyacht holiday
BY JEMMA CARR
BRITAIN'S richest Gypsy doesn't shy away from splashing his millions - and his latest lavish holiday was no exception.
Alfie Best - whose net worth hit a whopping £745million this year - spent a glamorous week on his £9million superyacht, sailing around Cannes and brushing shoulders with celebs.
The property mogul lapped up the luxury lifestyle, enjoying meals cooked by his private chef and taking jet boot lessons from a private tutor he had on board.
But his holiday didn't see him switch off from work completely, with the grafter regularly nipping away to take Zoom calls to back home.
Alfie's jaw-dropping wealth comes from his residential park homes empire Wyldecrest Parks, which made £32million last year alone.
As a well-earned break, he whisked daughter Elizabeth and son Alfie Jr away to Cannes, where his yacht - named Wyldecrest after the firm that made him his fortune - is docked.
Alfie told The Sun: "We chartered the yacht around Monaco, Cannes and St Tropez.
"I won't lie to you, I was working in the afternoon on Zoom. I really enjoyed sitting down for a really good lunch and dinner.
"There's a chef onboard."
Not content with staying afloat on the water - Alfie arranged for a private tutor to teach him how to hover in the air on jet-powered boots.
His verdict? "Honestly, terrifying," Alfie said.
"I'm a bit of a thrill seeker - I can't say I'm a roller coaster person."
Alfie spent days touring around the picturesque Bay of Cannes.
He added: "We went to Cannes Island - there's a restaurant there that you can only go to if you have a yacht.
"I've been there in the past and Elton John was there jamming out. It's very surreal.
"I've got two Sea-Doo on the yacht - they're like jet propelled boards that take you underwater and around.
"Dolphins were swimming alongside us."
Alfie shared a typical day spent on his holiday.
"I'd get up around 9am. I then have breakfast upstairs roundabout 9.30am," he said.
"Waking up at 9am is quite lazy for me. Then I check my emails to see if any calls need to be done.
"Then the boat would take us to shore and we'd explore town for two hours.
"Come back go out on Sea-Doos, or take the paddle board.
"Sometimes we'd take a donut out and have it pulled by the speedboat we've got with us.
"Then at 4pm I do two hours worth of mentoring with other businesses.
"I'd spend the afternoon sunbathing, before a 7pm dinner on the yacht upstairs."
And Alfie's luxury trip did not come cheap.
He added: "To take the yacht out for a week it's around £85,000 - plus fuel and docking it comes to about £100,000."
Alfie's yacht is an exclusive Sunseeker 90 Ocean and boasts a watersports speedboat tender and a jetski – both accommodated in the yacht's own submersible dock.
On board there is luxury accommodation for eight guests, plus a lounge and swim platform at water level.
Photos show a gorgeous dining area suitable for eight people.
Glamourous sleeping quarters make for a good night's rest on board with beautiful artwork hanging over the bed.
The bathroom is fully kitted out with a window that looks out to sea from the shower.
An outdoor seating area gives guests an option to dine to the sound of waves amid the sea air.
Reality TV star Georgia Toffolo sits at 12th place in the under-40 list with a shared fortune of £425 million, according to The Sunday Times.
The figure combines the estimated wealth of the former Made In Chelsea star, 30, and her husband, BrewDog co-founder James Watt.
And pop icon Dua Lipa has become the youngest person on The Sunday Times Rich List 2025.
The 29-year-old, who has won several Brit Awards and three Grammys, is 34th on the list, with an estimated wealth of £115 million.
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Other celebrities who made the list include Harry Kane, Daniel Radcliffe, Ellen Degeneres and Ed Sheeran.
David and Victoria Beckham made the list after amassing a net worth of £500 million.
