Hoogstraten grooming replacement

Nicholas van Hoogstraten says he has no plans to retire yet

Property baron Nicholas van Hoogstraten is grooming his son to take over his empire - which he says is worth £800m.

The tycoon, once described by a judge as a "self-styled emissary of Beelzebub", said he was training Rhett, 20, the eldest of his five children.

Mr Hoogstraten, who lives in a mansion near Uckfield, East Sussex, said of his son: "He's doing fine. Well, he's my boy isn't he?"

He was speaking in an interview to be broadcast on BBC2 on 27 October.

Underground Britain shows Mr Hoogstraten, 60, visiting some of his properties in one of his first major television interviews since he was released from prison.

'Over the top'

He was jailed for 10 years in 2002 for the manslaughter of another landlord, Mohammed Raja.

Mr Raja, 62, was shot dead by two men identified as Mr Hoogstraten's henchmen, but the tycoon's conviction for manslaughter was quashed by the Court of Appeal in July 2003 and he was freed five months later.

I can't understand how people equate enjoying themselves with spending money Nicholas van Hoogstraten

In the interview for the BBC2 documentary the property baron said he has no plans to retire, but wanted his son to be groomed to eventually take over.

He said: "I'm still young and fit and I've got a long time to go.

"I'd like him to shadow me and find out everything that's going on.

"But it's a difficult task because I keep everything close to my chest, nothing's in writing, there are no records of anything."

Mr Hoogstraten's house in East Sussex contains a mausoleum

Rhett admitted his father can sometimes be a "bit over the top" but said he wanted to emulate his no-nonsense business style.

"I should hope so because he's been so successful," he said.

"But there are also things that I'm sure I'll do differently than what he does because we're different people.

"I suppose I've got the best teacher so if I can learn his ways I can't go too wrong."

Mr Hoogstraten says during the programme that he currently has four girlfriends and he claims to have made up to £25m in two weeks on the stock market in Zimbabwe - where he owns land.

The documentary reinforces his reputation for hoarding wealth, re-using stamps and envelopes and buying discount Marmite.

He said: "I'm not interested in spending money, I've never been.

"I can't understand how people equate enjoying themselves with spending money."