But each and every one of his brilliantly ill-conceived plans seems to end in disaster. Against all odds, he struggles to support Rodney, his hapless kid brother, and Grandad.
The three of them live together in a high-rise block of flats in Peckham, South London. The flat is not so much a home as an operational headquarters for Trotter's Independent Trading.
Del is convinced that one day his schemes will make him a millionaire. Surely it's only a question of time - if only he could make a couple of good deals down the market that would be just the break he needs. He faces constant setbacks, serious and comic failure, but despite it all he remains heroically undeterred.
Series 1 of Only Fools and Horses premieres on Saturday, 9 May from 08:05 on BBC Entertainment, channel 120 on DStv.