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
creating easier hire home knew managers might money people satisfying senior work
I might have made more money if I had outsourced to India, and I knew I'd find it easier to hire senior managers in London. But I wanted to be in Stoke. What could be more satisfying than creating work for 3,000 people in my home town?
business corrupt cut gear jealousy motorbike people second selling sold succeeded time
My second business would have succeeded but for competitors' jealousy. I was selling motorbike gear cheap, but the people I was undercutting complained to the manufacturer and cut off my supply. It showed me how corrupt business can be. When I sold phones, the same thing happened, but this time I was ready.
business four helicopter people rest sort south time weeks yacht
I have a helicopter that I use for U.K. business trips, and I fly myself. I have a yacht in Antibes in the south of France, which is a sort of indulgence, as we only use it for about four weeks a year. The rest of the time, it is chartered out to people as a business.
break leading life maybe people
I'm a capitalist. I'm not going to feel sympathetic to people leading a life they don't have to lead who, with effort, could maybe break out of it.
people
People can come to me, and no matter how expert they are, I can virtually always see a way of doing something better.
people
People can come to me, and no matter how expert they are, I can virtually always see a way of doing something better.
british happy help living moving people reasonably stay support
I will stay living in Staffordshire. Other people would be moving offshore. I am reasonably happy to help support the British economy. I have done very well out of Britain.
create encourage government money people rich strangle taxes
Taxes aren't the way to go. They'd strangle the economy; you wouldn't create the wealth. And nothing squanders money as well as a government. What we need is to encourage rich people to give.
epitaph gave instinct john knew lies life time
I didn't want my epitaph to read 'Here lies John Caudwell, billionaire.' I knew that wasn't enough. I've had a charitable instinct all my life, but working gave me no time for it.
borrowing bought detached family financial house huge life money outside status taking
I was only 21 when I bought a five-bedroom detached house in Stoke-on-Trent that was way outside of my financial status in life. I did it by borrowing money from my family and the bank, taking out a huge mortgage.
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.
dozens drop estimate outdoor places safely watch
I can safely say that there are dozens of places on 'Titania' to watch a film with friends. I would estimate there's something like 50 televisions on board, some of which are very big-screen, some of which drop out of ceilings on the outdoor decks.
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.
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.