This English billionaire and razor-sharp businessman, who succeeded in generating the largest independent mobile phone retailer in Europe, may be known more for his business acumen and notorious hard man image than as a family orientated man who enjoys time out with his five children. Listed as being Britain’s 29th richest man in 2006, Caudwell doesn’t believe in squandering money or paying too much for anything. A keen cyclist, fitness enthusiast and an avid sportsman, Caudwell resembles action man in that his hobbies include racing on super charged motorbikes. He owns three of the fastest road-legal bikes in the UK.

Born 1953 into a poverty stricken childhood in Birmingham, the family moved to a terraced house in Shelton, Stock-on-Trent. Caudwell had a tough childhood and was bullied at school, an incident which might have made him the fighter he was to become in later life. He imagined himself as being a millionaire when he was 7 years old and had a passionate belief in being able to anything he put his mind to. However, Caudwell’s path from rags to riches hasn’t been an easy one, but rather one where hard work, determination and foresight have been essential qualities in making him one of Britain’s ultimate self-made millionaires. He swept floors in a pottery, was a used car sales man, became an engineer at Michelin and had two failed business enterprises – a sweet shop and a mail order business specialising in selling clothing to bikers – before venturing into telecommunications. Convinced that mobile phones, then the size of house bricks, were to play a significant part in life despite still being largely unheard of, Caudwell was determined to make a success of his communications venture. Caudwell continued in the face of adversity, even though his company lost money each month for the first two years. It takes a passionate and steadfast believer in one’s products to show that kind of dedication.

With his brother Brian, John Caudwell founded the Caudwell Group, a mobile communications company in 1987 then known as Midland Mobile Phones, which began as a small business and which took 8 months to gain its first order for 26 phones. Things have certainly changed since those early days, as the group now sells 26 phones per minute. It was the UK’s fastest growing company in 1996 and 1997 respectively and now has over 8,000 employees worldwide. Due to its rapid growth, it was renamed Caudwell Communications in May 1994 since it had grown beyond its regional boundaries. Despite its small beginnings, what started as a local phone business developed rapidly, as evidenced by its £13 million turnover in 1991. This made it the UK’s largest independent distributor of cellular phones. Rapid growth continued, so that by 2000 its turnover exceeded £1 billion.

In 1996 mobile phone company Phones4U, a handset sourcing firm 20:20 Logistics and Dextra solutions were founded as part of the Caudwell Group. Since then, it has opened 440 stores throughout the UK and is still growing. In 2006, Phones4U experienced record earnings on sales worth 2.12 billion. While US based Providence Equity Partners subsequently took control of Phones4U and the business to business operations, the 20:20 logistics handset distribution business and Dextra Solutions mobile phone accessories distribution were to be managed by UK based Doughty Hanson.

The company Singlepoint4U Ltd was another phone business established by the Caudwell Group in 1997. It was previously known as Caudwell Airtime Services and became an airtime division of the Caudwell Group which repackaged mobile air time into its own competitive tariffs and sold to its customers via dealers and retailers. It grew to become the largest independent mobile phone operator in the UK. The reason for its name change was so that the name reflected the company’s desire to be the single point of contact for all their customers mobile phone needs. It was sold to Vodafone in 2003 for £405 million.

Attaining tycoon status proved to be a rocky ride for Caudwell, who attributes his success to his ability to all ways look on the bright side of life, turning negatives into positives. While Caudwell may be retiring from the world of business now that the Caudwell Group has changed hands, he will still be able to get his adrenaline fix through meeting personal challenges which he sets himself, such as 1,000 mile bike rides and his latest feat of sailing round the world, the proceeds of which all go to his chosen charities, notably the NSPCC and the Caudwell Charity with its desire to help sick, disabled and terminally ill children being close to Caudwell’s heart. .

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