I’m Britain’s richest Gypsy dad thanks to Alfie Best – unusual event on day he was born meant I KNEW he’d be billionaire

THE dad of Britain’s richest gypsy said he always knew his son would become a billionaire.

Alfie Best amassed a fortune of £947million after founding caravan park empire Wyldecrest Parks and is now living it up income-tax free in Monaco.

In what is now a stark contrast to living it up on a £10m yacht, the business mogul grew up in a roadside trailer home in Leicester.

Alfie was no stranger to understanding what it was like to struggle in the 10ft-long motor home as his parents Jane and Alfie Sr found it hard to make ends meet.

But dad Alfie Sr said he knew from the day his son was born in that layby he would rake in the fortune.

He said: “Every second you wanted to know where he was.

“I always feel he’s been a very lucky boy because when he was born we had about nine inches of snow.

“Well, I had about four jobs to do, tarmacking. I couldn’t do them.

“Someone pulled in the layby and he went and gave us three loads of scrap. So that tied us over until the snow cleared.

“That’s why I always think of him as being a lucky baby.”

From the age of eight he worked with his dad going door-to-door offering to tarmac homeowners’ driveways.

At just 13 years old, he laid tarmac on the mile-long drive leading to the stately home of a member of the Hambro banking family.

His first solo business venture was buying and selling an Escort van, raking in a £150 profit.

From then the budding businessman was hooked.

Alfie managed to buy his first house for £63,000 at 17, while also starting up a business selling vans in East London.

His mum Jane said: “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’.”

“He’s always at work even if he’s on holiday. His brain don’t click off. That’s how my Alfie’s like.”

Now, Alfie runs a residential park homes empire Wyldecrest Parks, which made £32m last year alone.

Living the high life, he spends his days on the waters of European haven Monaco – where he heard the news he’d made it on the Sunday Times’ rich list.

The 54-year-old is the 173rd richest person in Britain – but wants to climb higher next year and join the billionaires.

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. 

The dad-of-two also boasts a £10million yacht moored in Cannes, a £4million Knightsbridge townhouse and a lavish £7million Surrey mansion.