Love, Pain & Money: The Making of a Billionaire

Product Information

The house isn’t lavish for the sake of it and it’s not some rarely-used luxury bolthole. The busy mansion is designed not only as a base for John’s property business but also as a beacon for the activities of Caudwell Children to promote and attract funders for its work helping disabled children across the UK. Love, Pain & Money retraces the inspirational journey, from the very shaky beginnings of his phone empire to owning yachts, private planes, a fleet of top flight cars, a Jacobean mansion in the Midlands and London's most expensive home (featured in a Channel 4 documentary). It's a fascinating insight into the drive, ambition, focus and vision required to become a billionaire. It was unpleasant having to relive the whole experience but, if it helps to catch the thieves, then it will be worth it. Obviously, I want the people responsible caught from a personal point of view, but I also wouldn’t want other people to endure what we went through.”

BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, John Caudwell, businessman BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, John Caudwell, businessman

Mobile Phone Billionaire Dials in for Gates-Buffet Giving Pledge". Forbes. 19 February 2013 . Retrieved 29 April 2015.

Last on

He recalls, “When I was a kid, no one had a home telephone. When I was 14, we had party lines where you shared a line with someone else and you could hear their conversation. When I was 20, everyone had their own line in their own home. When these [mobile] phones came out they cost a fortune, but I got to the point where I knew everyone would want one.” Phones4U became a staple of Britain’s high streets and of its TV screens, thanks to its off-the-wall adverts. They included clips with confused “Scary Mary” and early appearances from cult New Zealand comedy duo Flight of the Conchords.

Love, Pain and Money by John Caudwell | Waterstones

Born in a terraced house in Stoke-on-Trent, Caudwell went from bullied child to insecure trainee engineer at a local Michelin plant to self-made billionaire, befriending Sir Elton John, Eva Longoria, Hugh Grant and Robbie Williams, who have all taken part in his charity balls to raise money for Caudwell Children. While Caudwell said he did not think there was an obvious successor to Johnson, he criticised chancellor Rishi Sunak for his handling of the economy during the Covid crisis, arguing that the furlough scheme had made some people better off while ignoring others. He also praised Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, seen as a frontrunner to replace Johnson. Sort it out or step aside, Tory donor tells Boris Johnson". BBC News. 11 January 2022 . Retrieved 12 January 2022.New engines for Formula 1 H2O powerboats". Motorboat & Yachting. 27 February 2012 . Retrieved 19 November 2014.