WHEN Charlie Wilson decided to quit non-league football as a teenager to venture into property, he never imagined it would lead to a £56million fortune.
Now the 31-year-old boasts an impressive portfolio of over 250 properties – as well as a fleet of luxury cars and a stylish £12m mansion.
In 2020 he wooed glamorous reality star Ferne McCann – even flying her and her mates by private jet to France for her 30th birthday.
Charlie, who featured on the Sunday Times Rich List of young people in 2021, worked hard for his success – here we take a look at his impressive rise to the top.
A promising goalkeeper as a teen, Charlie played for Crystal Palace’s youth team and a string of non-league clubs.
But his ambition was to follow his dad Paul into property development.
He quit the sport and took up a job as a labourer on one of his dad's building sites – but admitted he lasted just "72 hours".
His first foray into property development was a gamble. He bought an apartment for £112,000 in what he claims was "one of the worst streets in Enfield".
But his risk paid off – within a few years he notched up an incredible portfolio of houses, apartments and freeholds worth more than £50m.
After selling up, he used the proceeds to buy Chase New Homes in 2015, a company that builds hundreds of homes in London and the southeast, reports The Times.
Within a year Charlie doubled his net worth from £27m in 2020 to an eye-watering £56m in 2021.
The mogul has rewarded his hard work by treating himself to a collection of incredible motors worth up to £600,000.
They include a Rolls-Royce Cullinan 4×4. The 2020 version of the luxury car has a starting price of £303,000 and is described as a "rolling palace" by trade magazine Car and Driver.
The review adds: "The Cullinan… comforts its passengers and alerts you to the presence of rich people."
His other extravagant car, a Lamborghini Huracan, is likely to have set him back at least £194,000 for the 2020 model.
And as a property developer, Charlie has saved one of the best for himself – a swish £12million pad.
In 2020 former The Only Way Is Essex star Ferne McCann, 32, revealed she was dating a mystery man called 'Mr C'.
The Sun exclusively revealed that her secret lover – who reportedly showered her with expensive gifts and took her on extraordinary dates – was Charlie.
For her 30th birthday, Ferne revealed on her ITV2 reality show First Time Mum that Mr C flew her and a bunch of mates on a private jet to Cannes.
She said: "Holy smackaroonies! Mr C has saved the day. Who is this guy? Where’s he come from? Has he stepped out of a novel? I’m really excited."
According to a source, Charlie had always been attracted to Ferne, who has a three year-old daughter, so slid into her DMs on Instagram.
They added: "He isn’t keen on being in the public eye so he didn’t want to be part of her show. He’s very generous but quite shy so found the idea of fame overwhelming."
Their romance was short-lived, however, as they split up in November 2020.
Charlie clearly likes to stay out of the limelight – he has a very minimal online presence and doesn't appear to follow his own company on Instagram.
Based in Welyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, Chase New Homes has connections to housing associations providing affordable homes.
Their developments include Times Square in Hertfordshire and Palace Wharf, overlooking the River Thames.
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