After topping the City & Guilds Vocational Rich List in 2007, entrepreneur Phones4U founder John Caudwell has been knocked off the top spot in for the first time in four years. With an estimated personal kitty of £1.6 billion, billionaire Caudwell has however remained in the top five on the VRL as his fortune has not been diminished by the credit crunch.
Eager to get his business career on track, John quit his ‘A’ Levels after just one term for an engineering apprenticeship at the famous Michelin Tyre Company in 1970, eventually becoming a successful car dealer. However, he made his serious money by venturing into the then fledgling mobile phone industry in 1987, becoming the biggest independent player in Europe.
In 2006 he auctioned off his Caudwell Group for an extra £1.24 billion. Since then Caudwell has become a major philanthropist focusing on his charitable work for Caudwell Children, which grants holidays, provides equipment and support to youngsters with life-limiting illnesses and their families. Singer Whitney Houston played at the Caudwell Children Legends Ball in May 2008 showing just how seriously Caudwell takes his charity work.
