West Ham heir Dave Sullivan Jr says he is ‘new Hugh Hefner’ as he learns trade to take over dad’s empire
Despite a lavish, multi-million pound lifestyle young Dave insists he works harder than than his mates at university
DAVID O'SULLIVAN'S son is looking to be the next Hugh Hefner and reckons he works far harder than his mates who are at university.
That despite being bought a lavish apartment now estimated to be worth £40million at the age of 16 and enjoying a lifestyle to match.
Dave Sullivan Jr is 20. His dad is co-owner of West Ham, having built up a billion pound empire from adult magazines in the 70s and going on to own the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport.
Dave Jr is heir to a £1.1billion fortune built up from small beginnings in a council house. He wants to leave his kids £5bn.
He appears to be following in dad's footsteps via the family publishing business and a huge property portfolio.
And he says: "When my mates ask me what my job is I tell them I basically do the job Hugh Hefner did at Playboy.
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"Publishing is a declining business so it won't go on for ever, just like the sex shops.
"But my dad has brought a lot of pleasure to a lot of people down the years with these businesses, and that can only be a good thing.
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"Looking to the future, though, we have a huge property portfolio and, of course, West Ham United.
"That's why I'm spending so much time getting to know the business, so when my dad decides to move on I'm in a good position to take things forward.
"People will always have a go, saying I've been born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but I work harder than just about anyone I know.
But what about Dave's eye-watering pad complete with cinema room, bar, 30ft Swarovski crystal chandelier and adorned with iconic art work.
It was shell when David Sn bought the building for £11 million after Lehman Brothers collapsed.
Mum Emma decorated the property in jaw-droppingly style and it has been home to her son since completing his GCSEs - he later collected two top grades at A Level - and leaving Chigwell School.
The centrepiece of the three-storey apartment is that vast Swarovski chandelier, which took six workmen 10 days to install.
The property is decorated with millions of pounds worth of art and antiques, while Dave's bedroom suite comes with its own personal bar and cinema.
Needless to say, Dave Jr is living a bachelor lifestyle most young men can only dream of.
"I work hard and I play hard, but the emphasis is definitely on the work side of things,' he says.
'The fact is anyone can have the same life as me. My dad has proved that - and I'm well aware that I have a lot to live up to."
But his impressive London pad is not the only luxury property in dad's arsenal.
The crown jewel of his property portfolio is his palatial £7.5million mansion he built more than 20 years ago in Essex.
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The mansion has its own bowling alley, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, games room and tennis court.
There are 14 bedrooms, opulent bathrooms and a dining room which can seat 24 people at the table.
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"People will always have a go, saying I've been born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but I work harder than just about anyone I know," adds Dave Jr.
"My dad came from a council house - he had nothing - and he built up a billion pound empire.
"Well if he can do that then I want to leave my own kids £5 billion, and the only way to do that is by hard work and imagination."