John Caudwell Quotes

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John Caudwell

Profession : Businessman

Birth : October 7, 1952

I'd much rather leave £2bn to charity, or £3bn or £4bn, than £1bn. That is my motivation to carry on working as hard as I do.

John Caudwell

Those of us who have yet to find philanthropy may find there is a far greater reward from it than from wealth creation.

John Caudwell

I couldn't even contemplate anyone even making a film about my life!

John Caudwell

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.

John Caudwell

I believe in workers' rights when people are doing a good job.

John Caudwell

As the years passed, and I was nine, 10, 11 years old, it became obvious I was going to start up a business of some sort.

John Caudwell

When I came into the mobile phone business, I was really the upstart who pretty much took the business, not quite by storm, but really made an impact on it quite early on. But it was from a position, really, of feeling that I was a last mover.

John Caudwell

I always switch off from the business when I go across the threshold. Home is home, and I try to keep it that way.

John Caudwell

I saw that e-mail was insidiously invading Phones 4u, so I banned it immediately.

John Caudwell

If I died tomorrow, I would regret growing so wealthy and still running the business when there are so many more people I could have helped.

John Caudwell

In the early days, I had everything to prove. A very working class lad with a burning ambition. A very crude way of measuring success is how much you are worth.

John Caudwell

In any business opportunity, you'd be looking, probably, primarily at the risk and return. Some business can be very risky with a low return; what you want is the lowest risk with the biggest return.

John Caudwell

Some of the things I did in my early career were massive learning curves because I had no one to guide me. You learn very quickly because it costs you torment and trouble.

John Caudwell

I suppose I have very undesirable traits. I am very critical, which is very undesirable. But it is good from a business point of view.

John Caudwell

I will give away at least half my wealth during my lifetime and after my death. In the meantime, I'll continue to grow my wealth as much as possible so that the amount I bequeath to charities and worthy causes can be as substantial as possible.

John Caudwell

E-mails are the cancer of modern business.

John Caudwell

I always felt, right from a youngster, that it was my destiny to be a success. It sounds a little bit egotistical, but I felt I had a calling to do something.

John Caudwell

I don't think I'm going to live until I'm 70, no; I could die tomorrow. So there isn't a panic that time is running out, but there is an element that anything could happen.

John Caudwell

People are much more important than superficial environments.

John Caudwell

'Titania' is the best yacht currently afloat of its kind and size. There is very little, if anything, that anybody would go wanting for on 'Titania.'

John Caudwell