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 the 350 wealthiest men and women in Britain 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 wealth 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.
MORE ON ALFIE
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.
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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.
Inside the lives of the richest under 40s - from Duke to Apprentice winner with massive fortune
“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.
40 RICHEST UNDER 40
1. Duke of Westminster £10.127billion
2. Lady Charlotte Wellesley £2.2billion
3. Herman Narula £780million
4. Fawn and India Rose James £750million
5. Ben Francis £725million
6. Thomas Hartland-Mackie £684million
7. Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham £455million
8. Ayman Rahman and Fateha Begum £404million
9. Sir Lewis Hamilton £350million
10. Ed Sheeran £340million
11. Tom and Phil Beahon £334million
12. Timothy Goodwin £245million
13. Rory McIlroy £225million
14. Martin Kissinger £200million
15. Alex Loven £200million
16. James Asquith £182million
17. Anthony Joshua £175million
17. Harry Styles £175million
19. Adele £170million
20. Dan and Melanie Marsden £151million
21. Eric Liu £150million
21. Lewis Morgan £150million
23. Barney Hussey-Yeo £128million
24. Alex and David Campbell £127million
25. Vishal Karia £116million
25. Alex Kendall £116million
27. Sir Andy Murray £100million
28. Christian Owens £91million
29. Dua Lipa £90million
29. Daniel Radcliffe £90million
31. Victor Riparbelli £85million
31. Steffen Tjerrild £85million
33. Reece Wabara £83million
34. Mike and George Heaton £81million
35. Harry Kane £75million
36. Susie Ma £73million
37. Raheem Sterling £72million
38. Gareth Bale £70million
39. Emma Watson £59million
40. Charlie Morgan £56million
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 rich list.
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 Branson 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.
RICH LIST TOP 10
- Gopi Hinduja and family: £37.196 billion
Mr Hinduja runs The Hinduja Group Ltd - an Indian trans-national conglomerate.
It is divided in eleven sectors including automotive, oil and specialty chemicals, banking and finance, IT and ITeS, cyber security, healthcare, trading, infrastructure project development, media and entertainment, power, and real estate.
2. Sir Leonard Blavatnik £29.246 billion
Sir Leonard Blavatnik is a Ukrainian-born business tycoon who now holds UK-US citizenship.
He owns the London-based sports streaming platform DAZN – pronounced “da zone.
3. David and Simon Reuben and family £24.977 billion
The Indian-born siblings first made their money in the global metals industry and have gone on to pour the proceeds into property.
They have also played a part in the £300mSauditakeoverofNewcastle United.
4. Sir Jim Ratcliffe £23.519 billion
Ratcliffe is a petrochemicals tycoon who at his peak was worth around £21BILLION.
He runs multi-billion-pound chemicals giant Ineos, which also owns French club Nice, Swiss side Lausanne, plus a third of Formula One team Mercedes.
5. Sir James Dyson and family £20.8 billion
Sir Dysonisone of Britain's most successful inventors, and is revered for revolutionising the vacuum cleaning industry.
TheBritbusinessman isregularly namedamongstthe richest peoplein theUK, thanks to his uber-successfulDysonventures and impressive property portfolio.
6. Barnaby and Merlin Swire and family £17.2 billion
This family conglomerate has a large stake in Cathay Pacific and extensive holdings in Asia.
7. Idan Ofer £14.96 billion
Idan Oferis an Israeli billionaire businessman and philanthropist, with interests in shipping, energy, mining and sports.
8. Lakshmi Mittal and family £14.921 billion
Lakshmi Niwas Mittal is Indian steel magnate, based in the United Kingdom.
He is the executive chairman of ArcelorMittal, the world's second largest steelmaking company.
9. Guy, George, Alannah and Galen Weston Jr and family £14.493billion
Galen Weston and Hilary Weston are among the wealthiest in the UK, thanks to their work in food processing and distribution.
10. John Fredriksen and family: £12.867billion
John Fredriksenis a Norwegian-born Cypriot oil tanker and shipping billionaire businessman based in London.
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.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
CASHING IN Britain’s 'migrant hotel king' pocketed £750m from holiday parks and housing asylum seekers in hotels
BRITAIN’S ‘migrant hotel king’ has made this year’s Sunday Times Rich List.
Graham King - who has trousered £750million from holiday parks and hotels housing asylum seekers - is one of 350 of Britain's wealthiest men and women who featured on the annual list.
His family’s business began in the early 1960s, when his dad Jack bought a caravan holiday park from the council.
King’s park sold for £32million in 2007 - sealing the family’s fortunes.
Graham was determined to carry on his father’s legacy, working for rge family’s taxi company in Canvey Island.
But in 1999 he went out on his own and launched property company Clearsprings.
In decades since, King has raked in £750million by winning a series of lucrative government contracts to provide short-term accommodation, mostly for asylum seekers.
However, Clearsprings has come under fire for the conditions many asylum seekers have allegedly endured in their accommodations,
Inspectors in 2021 described two of its sites as “decrepit”, “impoverished” and “run-down”.
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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