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I’m Britain’s richest gypsy Alfie Best – I was happier living in a caravan than earning £20k a MONTH… here’s why
BRITAIN'S richest Gypsy Alfie Best has revealed why he was happier living in a caravan than earning £20,000 a month.
Alfie, 53, has given The Sun exclusive access to his new documentary, Gypsy Billionaire, which is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this Friday.
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Speaking in the film, the businessman, who has a net worth of around £741 million, opened up about the impact building his business empire had on his mental health.
He said: "My driving force was purely financial gain. I was in a hole.
"At that time I was making £10,000 to £20,000 a month...[it was] very very stressful, very difficult.
"The only difference for me now is that, then, I was only going to work for financial gain.
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"But the stress of it. I had a happier and better life when I was living as a Gypsy than I did with all the stress and the pressure and the mortgages."
However, he added that it was his own fault as he took on all the pressure "because that's what I wanted".
The exciting new doc gives a unique insight into Alfie's humble beginnings, including being born in a caravan at the side of the road, and how he turned it all around to become one of the wealthiest men in the country.
He also revealed how he nearly lost everything and was sleeping in his van before taking drastic action to get back on track.
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Meanwhile, Alfie's mum, Jane, explained how she knew her son would be a millionaire from day one.
And Jane isn't the only family member featured, with Alfie's daughter Elizabeth, 27, opening up about following in her dad's footsteps after dropping out of school aged 11.
Alfie - set to be crowned the world's first gypsy billionaire next year if all goes to plan - was raised by his mum and dad in a ten-foot long motorhome.
From the age of eight he worked with his dad - also named Alfie - going door to door offering to tarmac homeowners' driveways.
Aged 13, he laid the 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.
He managed to buy his first house for £63,000 aged just 17, while also starting up a business selling vans in East London.
Now, Alfie runs a residential park homes empire Wyldecrest Parks, which made £32m last year alone.
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He lives the high life in a mansion worth £6 million, a fleet of supercars in the garage and he travels around the country on his personalised helicopter - designed by James Bond’s favourite car company, Aston Martin.
Earlier this year, The Sun was given a peek into a normal day in Alfie Best's enviable life.
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