John Caudwell
John Caudwell
John David Caudwellis an English businessman, philanthropist and co-founder of mobile phone retailer Phones 4u. He also invests in fashion, real estate and other industries, and chairs Caudwell Children, a charity which benefits ill or disabled children and their families. He is also known for being the UK's biggest taxpayer...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionBusinessman
Date of Birth7 October 1952
bullied business fighting finding good red school
I was bullied at school for my red hair; today I still come out fighting hard. I give as good as I get. In business, it's about finding solutions, not being rolled over.
business good point suppose
I suppose I have very undesirable traits. I am very critical, which is very undesirable. But it is good from a business point of view.
ancestry businesses left owned quite replicate
Knowing that my ancestry had all been quite wealthy and owned their own businesses probably left me with the ambition to replicate what they'd done.
job left pottery sweeping time
Journalists like to say I started off sweeping the pottery floors. But it was just a short-lived part time job doing that after I left school.
amount causes charities continue death half lifetime possible worthy
I will give away at least half my wealth during my lifetime and after my death. In the meantime, I'll continue to grow my wealth as much as possible so that the amount I bequeath to charities and worthy causes can be as substantial as possible.
business home switch
I always switch off from the business when I go across the threshold. Home is home, and I try to keep it that way.
bit felt sounds success
I always felt, right from a youngster, that it was my destiny to be a success. It sounds a little bit egotistical, but I felt I had a calling to do something.
costs curves early guide learning massive quickly torment
Some of the things I did in my early career were massive learning curves because I had no one to guide me. You learn very quickly because it costs you torment and trouble.
adequately children family objective
My objective is to leave my family adequately catered for, but I want my children to make their own way. I want them to have pride in their own achievements.
children encourage forge happiness involve levels modest philosophy success though
My philosophy is very much to encourage my children to forge their own success and happiness, even though that will undoubtedly involve much more modest levels of wealth creation.
coming design ideas quite realised
I realised I've got quite a talent for coming up with ideas for design. I've got so many ideas about fashion.
I really do feel guilty that I don't visit me mum enough.
albeit assets interested money quite saving spend work
I'm a wealth creator. I'm not interested in saving in the least. While I do spend a lot, I don't spend money like other billionaires. I'm probably quite unusual, albeit I do have some of the significant trappings. But I always try to make my assets work for a living.
burning crude early lad success
In the early days, I had everything to prove. A very working class lad with a burning ambition. A very crude way of measuring success is how much you are worth.