John Caudwell

Self-made billionaire John Caudwell grew up in Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England, and discovered his commercial and creative streak at a young age. It was in the mid-1980s, when operating a successful car dealership in his hometown, that he turned a communications problem into a business opportunity.

John founded Caudwell Group, the pioneering telecommunications company which included Phones 4U, the UK’s largest independent mobile phone retailer with over 600 stores across the country. When he sold Caudwell Group in 2006, the business was selling 26 phones a minute.