THE UK’s ‘Gypsy billionaire’ celebrated on a £9million superyacht and splashed out on a £500,000 Rolls Royce after his Rich List success.
Alfie Best is now proudly one of the 350 wealthiest men and women in Britain who earned a spot on the Sunday Times annual list.
The 54-year-old amassed his fortune after founding caravan park titan Wyldecrest Parks – which is currently worth an estimated £947 million.
It poses a stark contrast to how he grew up, born in a roadside caravan, and taught to work from an early age.
The welcome here has been immense, I can only thank the people of Monaco
Alfie Best
Now, Alfie is on track to reach his first billion soon and join the ranks of the UK’s 165 billionaires.
He has been enjoying a life of luxury in a lavish £7million Surrey mansion, driving a fleet of classic motors, and even owning an Airbus ACH130 helicopter.
The dad-of-two also boasts a £10million yacht moored in Cannes, and a £4million Knightsbridge townhouse.
But now the business mogul spends his time browsing £25million apartments in Monaco’s millionaire’s playground after moving earlier this year.
He was greet with an immensely warm welcome – where the local community hosted an elaborate birthday bash for the businessman.
Invitees and star guests were greeted with an elaborately decorated 18-seater dining table, and tasteful goodie bags filled with gifts including perfume and hair combs.
The ‘Gypsy Billionaire’ exclusively told The Sun: “There was a party put on for me at the yacht club, it was a bit overwhelming.
“I consider myself just to be a nobody so for them to go out of their way and and put a party on for me, sometimes you’ve got to pinch yourself that these things are actually happening.
“The welcome here has been immense, I can only thank the people of Monaco.”
The day before his party the businessman also popped bottled of champagne at a glitzy event in his home country.
“Our wonderful icon from Britain, which is our lovely Dame Shirley Bassey was there,” he told The Sun.
“I was hoping she was going to serenade me with Gold Finger. But unfortunately not. I didn’t get that, but she was absolutely wonderful.”
As well as his holiday property empire, Alfie is also the owner of non-league East Thurrock United, which he snapped up during Covid.
His immense net worth climbed a further £202 million in the last year – meaning he is well on track to becoming Britain’s first Romany Gypsy billionaire.
On his new life in Monaco, Alfie told The Suns how he’s “loving it” and can’t believe how many other Brits are there.
He said: “I wish I’d have done it 20 years ago. It’s amazing walking up and down the street here how many Brits there are, I genuinely mean you could think it was Little Britain.”
It comes after Alfie made the decision to leave the UK and live as a tax exile in Monaco in April 2024.
He said previously: “Look, I love Britain through and through but it seems we’ve lost our way.
“We’re chasing our business entrepreneurs out the front door.
“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.”
Before celebrating at his incredible birthday bash, Alfie also partied with family and made the most of VIP tickets to see the Gypsy Kings.
“We had a small after party with them which was pretty cool as well. So you could say that I’m partied out at the moment,” Alfie shared.
In preparation to leave the UK, the entrepreneur also sold off a whopping eight supercars and his £4.5milion seven-seater Airbus ACH130 helicopter.
Meanwhile, a 300mph Bugatti Chiron and 250mph Veyron sold for over £3m.
Plus, a Porsche, Bentley, Rolls-Royce convertible and two Mercedes G Wagons were also given away for an eye-watering sum.
Alfie is currently renting a two-bedroom apartment in Monaco overlooking the famous Formula One course, until he gets residency.
The dad-of-two already owns an impressive property portfolio, including ten rental villas in Barbados, and a Herefordshire golf course.
Back home, he owns properties in and around London worth a total of almost £30 million.
It’s all thanks to Wyldecrest Parks, which opened its first site in Essex 24 years ago and has now grown to an empire of more than 100 mobile home sites from Scotland to Cornwall.
The parks have attracted 16,000 residents and staff 400 strong.
