ALFIE Best will soon be the world’s first Gypsy BILLIONAIRE after his wealth soared by £202million in just one year, the Sunday Times Rich List revealed.
Alfie – currently the UK’s richest Gypsy – is one of 350 of Britain’s wealthiest men and women who featured on the annual list.
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The 54-year-old who founded caravan park titan Wyldecrest Parks, is currently worth an estimated £947 million.
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.
His whopping climbed by £202 million in the last year – meaning he is well on track to becoming Britain’s first Romany Gypsy billionaire.
However, Alfie made the decision to leave the UK and live as a tax exile in Monaco in April 2024.
He said: “Britain needs to wake up — we are losing wealth creators.
“Our tax system and business regulations are sterilising the few strong people who build economies.
“We need these people to start businesses and create jobs. Brexit was a golden opportunity to create a fast-growing pro-entrepreneur environment. That chance has been completely squandered.”
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 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.
He continued: “I thought Rishi Sunak would be like a second Jesus for our country — encouraging the wealth creators.
“There was someone who understood business and was married into a wealthy family. How wrong I was.”
The dad-of-two boasts a whopping property portfolio, including ten rental villas in Barbados, and a Herefordshire golf course.
He also owns homes in and around London worth a total of almost £30 million.
If Alfie does reach his first billion soon, he will join the ranks of the UK’s 165 billionaires.
India born Gopi Hinduja – head of a family finance and IT conglomerate – tops the list with £37.196 billion.
Mr Best’s decision to leave the UK follows the footsteps of many others on the richlist.
In an exclusive interview with Sun Online, Alfie previously said:
“Sir Jim Radcliffe’s left, Sir James Dyson said he’d never leave but he went, Richard Branson‘s left, too.
“The list goes on. They can’t all be wrong.”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe – who has a stake in Manchester United – ranks fourth on the list with £23.519 billion.
Meanwhile, Sir James Dyson is in fifth place with £20.8 billion.
And Sir Richard Brandon ranks 75th richest in the UK with £2.4 billion.
It comes as The King’s personal wealth has jumped by £10 million to £610 million in the last year.
Charles, who acceded to the throne less than two years ago, ranks 258th in the list, up from 263rd place in 2023.
And the personal fortune of the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty surged by more than £120 million over the past year.
Mr Sunak and Ms Murty’s wealth was £651 million in the latest list, soaring from £529 million.
Meanwhile, Sir Paul McCartney has become the first billionaire musician from the UK.
The Beatles star, 81, has entered the rankings of the wealthiest at new heights following his 2023 Got Back Tour, the increase in the value of his back catalogue and Beyonce covering his band’s song Blackbird on her latest album Cowboy Carter.
Sir Paul’s wealth has risen by £50 million to hit the £1 billion figure, and claimed the musician top spot in 2022 – when his fortune was put at £865 million.
Also making the rich list was Harry Potter series author JK Rowling, who has an estimated wealth of £945 million.
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