A property tycoon with a crash pad in Purley has become one of the UK's first self made billionaires.

Xiuli Hawken, 48, is the highest self-made female entry in this year’s Sunday Times Rich List, thanks to her £1.06billion fortune.

The mum-of-one, who many would pass without giving a second glance, is now part of more than 100 women part of the country's 1000 wealthiest people.

Until Mrs Hawken and her husband Anthony's recent move to their £1.45m house in Purley the couple lived a comparatively frugal life in a three-bedroom semi-detached house.

Mr Hawken said: "We spend much more – at least my wife and son do.

“We’ve just got a new 55in TV. We don’t need that. I thought we had a good one already.

“Until recently we were in a three-bedroom semi with a loft conversion. It’s my fault we had to move – I’ve got piles of books in every room.

“I’m still driving the same car after seven years — a Nissan 4x4. I don’t think my friends realise how wealthy we’ve become.

Mrs Hawken moved to to Britain in 1991 to learn English. She was born in China but stayed in the UK and married Anthony while working in finance before returning to China.

She then begun sowing the seeds of her property empire by buying up enormous air raid shelters and converting them into shopping centres.

Anthony moved to China too but soon returned to Britain to raise their son.

Mr Hawken, a school teacher, said: “I should say that my wife doesn’t like England much.

“Over there she has her business. I suppose on paper she’s a billionaire.

“That’s not to say that is all available in cash, but she has a lot of shares assigned in her name.”