Secret documents seen by the Telegraph shed new light on the complex network of international businessmen, financial advisers and public figures with whom Mr Blair regularly rubs shoulders.

They also indicate the cost to the taxpayer of his growing empire of influence, while opening him up to accusations of a potential conflict of influence.

1. He gets around

Between May 2010 and October 2012 the countries visited by Tony Blair included Argentina, the USA, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Oman, Jordan, Israel, Qatar, China, Kazakhstan, and Burma from his base in the UK.

One trip in February 2012 saw the former PM take in Israel, UAE, Qatar, China and Kazakhstan in a single week, while conducting a mixture of charity work and private business.

He frequently uses private jets loaned by governments and private clients, including American industrialists; an African private jet operator favoured by mining conglomerates; and a Middle East-based jet operator said to have close links to prominent Iraqis.

2. Companies linked to Mr Blair were seen "sniffing" around Albania

Several “Blair-related outfits” were spotted “sniffing for work” in Tirana at the same time as the former Prime Minister completed a deal to advise Albanian government.

News of his associates’ activities was even included in a note sent back to Whitehall in October 2013.

Nicholas Cannon, the British ambassador to Albania, told how the former head of state was preparing to embed a team of consultants in the Albanian government, funded by “external sources”.

3. He likes five star hotels

Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi (Alamy)

Suites at the lavish Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, where Mr Blair stays to meet crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and senior figures from sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, cost more than £7,000 per night - though it is not clear which Mr Blair uses.

In Doha, where he met the Qatari prime minister, Mr Blair and his team stayed at the Four Seasons, where standard rooms cost between £250 and £600, while in Beijing, the Presidential suite where Mr Blair stayed costs £4,000.

In Astana, where he met autocratic Kazakhstan president Nursultan Nazarbayev, with whom he has a longstanding contract, Mr Blair stayed at a five-star hotel where rates range from £160 to £3,600.

4. He has a small army of helpers, and he’s very well protected

Up to a dozen employees of Tony Blair Associates travel with him on his many jaunts. Their job is to scout locations in advance, fix meetings and dinner arrangements, introductions and ensure everything goes smoothly.

He is guarded by at least 12 publicly-funded armed Metropolitan Police protection officers who often stay in the same five-star hotels.

It means the taxpayer could be paying up to £16,000 a week to help the former Prime Minister build his business empire.

5. For the architect of New Labour, old habits die hard

Mr Blair is currently advising Romania on setting up a No 10 style “delivery unit” thanks to a £1.1million contract secured via the World Bank and due to expire December this year.

The Bank said Mr Blair’s firm showed “a clear understanding of the implementation challenges of the project” and offered “the most competitive price” of five competing bids.

A spokesman for Mr Blair said the work was “not for profit”.

6. His diverse portfolio has led to accusations of a conflict of interest

Mr Blair secured a £1m private contract with the World Bank, while simultaneously working with the bank in his role at Middle East envoy.

He also struck lucrative commercial deals with Abu Dhabi while he was also in negotiations with the emirate as Middle East envoy over $45 million (£29m) funding for the Palestinian Authority.

There are strict procedures in place to avoid such conflicts of interest, Mr Blair’s office said.

7. Former diplomats are concerned about Mr Blair's business activities

One former ambassador said he "used the ticket of the Middle East Envoy and Quartet" to deal with governments on a commercial basis.”

This is something Mr Blair vehemently denies.

8. Mr Blair’s contacts book includes some of the world’s leading movers and shakers

In 2011 Mr Blair met Google co-founder Sergey Brin (AP)

On the international lecture circuit, where he charges up to £200,000 per speech, Tony Blair’s daily schedule is planned meticulously – sometimes in blocks of ten minutes.

One five-day trip to the US in 2011 Mr Blair attended business events in San Francisco, San Diego and Napa, California, and met Google co-founder Sergey Brin, JP Morgan chief executive Jamie Dimon and representatives of Khosla Ventures, a venture capitalist firm Mr Blair advises.

The former PM also attended gatherings with financier George Soros, JP Morgan Investment Bank vice chair Britt Bartter, and Dow Chemical Company president, chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris.

9. He has lucrative deals with Abu Dhabi

The former Prime Minister arranged a deal with Abu Dhabi while he was also in negotiations with the emirate as Middle East envoy over $45 million (£29m) funding for the Palestinian Authority.

In 2009, Mr Blair started working for Mubadala, the Emirates' sovereign wealth fund.

A spokesman for Mr Blair said that Abu Dhabi's funding for the Palestinian Authority came from a "separate organisation" to Mubadala.

Mr Blair has always insisted he keeps his envoy role completely separate from his business activities.

The A-Z of Tony Blair's global business deals

10. He was still using British government officials stationed abroad to brief on local conditions nearly six years after leaving Downing Street

Ahead of a trip to Toronto in November 2010 Mr Blair’s staff asked if the British High Commission Ottawa had “an off-the-shelf non-classified briefing on current politics etc”.

His office wrote to the British ambassadors to Albania and Macedonia in 2011 and 2012 outlining his government advisory work and asking for discussions on the respective countries.

Andrew Heyn, the British ambassador to Burma, also provided the former prime minister with briefing notes for a visit to the country in 2013 as his staff were helping Mr Blair’s office with their plans to begin work in Burma.

A spokesman for Mr Blair suggested that it was in “the country’s interests” for Foreign Office officials to support Mr Blair’s work abroad.