Who is Big Motoring World founder Peter Waddell?
PETER Waddell went from having nothing to accumulating an uncapped net worth of £77million.
Meet the rags-to-riches 58 year old entrepreneur who made his mark on the automotive business scene, but it has not always been a bed of roses for Peter.
Peter Waddell started his company Big Motoring World in 1986 from Teynham, Kent.
What was once a humble dealership with just 20 cars on display turned into a massive multi-million pound enterprise.
Yet despite Peter’s success, the millionaire’s past has not been easy.
Peter’s early life
Peter was born on March 1966 and is deaf and dyslexic.
He grew up in a children’s home in Fairlie, North Ayrshire, after enduring a series of tragic abuse when he was just four years old.
He suffered at the hands of his own mother, which led him to his hospitalisation.
He told The Sun: “She scarred my whole body, attempted to cut my hands off and smashed my head, I haven’t spoken to my mother in probably 50 years”
Growing up, opportunities were few but that did not stop him.
Peter said: “You can’t change the past but you can change the future — so that’s what I did.”
After he left foster-care at aged 16, Peter moved to London and worked as a chef.
With the money he earned, Peter bought his first car – a Nissan Bluebird, for £250 and became a minicab driver.
Working day and night, Peter then moved to Kent and used his modest earnings to purchase a small car showroom – becoming the start of his business journey.
Working on his business day and night consistently, Peter’s company now stands as a UK top 10 dealer with over 1,000 employees nationwide.
Big Motoring World and beyond
Big Motoring World is now a a multi-award winning used car supermarket, branding a name for itself.
It has been on The London Stock Exchange’s 1000 Companies to Inspire.
In 2005, Peter’s company became the UK’s largest independent used BMW dealer.
He stated: “I loved BMWs, they were my favourite cars, so I specialised in them”.
Peters ambitions did not stop there.
After opening a branch in Enfield in 2019, the company revealed a 43% growth in turnover and a 34% increase in pre-tax profits.
The booming enterprise continues to grow, as stores in Camberley and Surrey opened in October of 2024, making its’s 11th store location across the country.
Living the dream
Despite being a hard working business man, his love for cars also extends beyond his capital ventures.
His personal portfolio of over 20 supercars, include a Rolls-Royce Wraith and a his own £4 million Airbus EC130 helicopter.
Not only does Peter generously splurge on himself, he recently bought his 7 year old son and wife Gabby Nita both a Ferrari of their own.
The gift he got for his beloved wife didn’t just stop at the car – the tycoon went a step further to throw in a custom number plate costing five times more than the actual car.
The VIP1 plate cost an eye-watering £2 million and had also been owned by Pope John Paul II and later by billionaire Roman Abramovich.
Peter has lived in a Grade I Listed Holwood House since 2015, near Bromley, South East London. The property is said to have fifty-six rooms and includes a swimming pool, gyms, cinema and tennis court.
He plans on extending his home, with reports suggesting he wishes to build an underground bowling alley.