Policymakers now have a chance to fix some of the underlying problems holdin, Even a small increase to your monthly pension contributions could add tens of thousands of pounds to your retirement pot. These cookies record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited and the links you have followed. The construction project reportedly employed 300 workers and is the subject of the new Channel 4 documentary, Britains Most Expensive Home: Building For a Billionaire. And its a far cry from the council estate (the U.K. version of a housing project) in which Caudwell grew up. The businessman even has a lavish cinema room that has been kitted out with all the amenities for a movie night. It was purchased by Mr Caudwell for 87 million, before the renovation The two ventures that most excite Mr Caudwell now are 4U Net, the free internet service, and E.Commercell, a radical system his technicians have developed to allow recharging of airtime on prepaid mobiles by using a swipe card. Please note you may be matched to one of our trusted partners such as CraftJack, Angi or Networx. Celebrity neighbours have included heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, who rented but has now moved out, while nearby residents have included singers Rihanna and Robbie Williams, as well as acting stars Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory. "But there's a wrinkle or two with their service, which we don't have. The majestic ballroom was simply polished up with hardwood floors and new curtains to retain its authentic style. City sources say the group has been negotiating with one of the major high street phone retail chains about a possible takeover that would establish Phones 4U as one of the two largest phone retailers in the country. And John Caudwell has plans. READ:Julie Neville shares an exclusive access-all-areas tour of her incredible family home, Speaking about the new series, executive producer Dan Barraclough said: "This incredible access gives us a glimpse into the world of the truly mega wealthy, where every whim can be realised, but where things can still go wrong, as on any building site. This house is exceptionally wide Celebrity neighbours have included heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, while nearby residents have included singers Rihanna and Robbie Williams, as well as acting stars Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory. There is also a games room overlooking the pool, a 12-seater cinema with bar, two climate-controlled wine cellars, a cigar room and an underground garage with four-car hydraulic lift. Billionaire businessman John Caudwell has given TV viewers a glimpse inside his very own yacht for a new documentary. WebBroughton Hall near Eccleshall, Staffordshire, is a privately owned 16th-century Elizabethan-style manor house. Mr Caudwell says 4U Net is now a vital part of his plans, though it makes no money for the group. One quickly gets the impression that Mr Caudwell is utterly, unstoppably determined in everything he sets out to do. The huge property has 15 bedrooms and eight floors, spanning 43,000 sq feet. "We want to be number one in anything we do." Luxury features include a subterranean spa area with 14-metre pool, sauna, hammam and treatment and dressing rooms. I'm confident we will be one of the biggest mobile telecommunications companies in the world. A newly built 10-bedroom mansion in St Johns Wood has become the most expensive home to go on the London market this year, with a price tag of 75 million. The next year he was taken on by the Michelin Tyre Company as an apprentice engineer, and he stayed 10 years, until 1980, though that didn't stop the hyperactive Mr Caudwell from setting up three businesses on the side. Warning of exceptionally low staffing levels as nurses strike, UK running extra evacuation flight to rescue Britons from Sudan, Missile strikes on Ukraine cities leave one dead and dozens injured, MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo dies aged 46, Islamic State leader killed in Syria, says Turkey, County lines mum ran selfish sons drugs ring while he was in jail, Coronation allegiance oath in support of King tone deaf, Man, 20, in critical condition after assault in Beckenham, Couple ordered to tear down 80,000 extension in fight with neighbours, Mum says son was too embarrassed to leave killer girlfriend. One of the reasons for Mr Caudwell's relative obscurity in the millionaires' club may be that Phones 4U, the group's most public face, is a relatively small retailer, with around 130 shops. It is all a far cry from John's humble beginnings growing up in Wellesley Street in Shelton. And an impeccably decorated Thai-themed dining room also steals the spotlight, with stunning blossom trees and a river which a number of the tropical fish Malawi cichlids call home. John's friend Dawn Ward, an interior designer and one of the original cast members of ITV reality series The Real Housewives of Cheshire, has spent four years designing the house interiors with her team. Nobody knew about mobiles then, there was hardly any demand, and anyway nobody would come to a car salesman to buy a phone." Like this article? By submitting your info on this form, you are agreeing to be contacted regarding your service request by means of telephone, email, or text including using pre-recorded or auto dialed phone calls or text messages to the phone number you have provided, including your wireless number, if provided. The ground floor of the Dragoumanos property has a vast formal drawing and dining room with French doors leading to gardens and a sunken courtyard. Interiors were designed by Athens and London-based Sissy Feida and include a 13-metre crystal floor-to-ceiling hanging chandelier in the grand hall. Subscribe now and get up to 61% off the cover price. Included in the grand scheme is a planned basement nightclub with a mirrored dancefloor, five kitchens, a 120-capacity ballroom and pieces of art that cost more than 300,000. Billionaire businessman John Caudwell bought Audley Street garage and the surrounding buildings in Mayfair for around 155 million in 2011. Pregnant women fighting for their lives at Royal Stoke after catching covid, Mum wallowing in self pity branded 'selfish, self-centred and ignorant', Stoke-on-Trent's bin men 'struggling' to cope as Covid decimates crews, Suicide of woman 'tormented by neighbours' sees coroner slam police, Firefighter back at work a year after losing leg in motorbike crash, Not signed up to the newsletter? The 25,000 sq ft neo-classical residence in Avenue Road was built on a plot bought for 14 million in 2013 by Greek property developer George Dragoumanos. You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. He bounds down the stairs to the reception area of his HQ building to meet me himself, and chats amiably with employees who seem undaunted by him. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. It is popular with the super rich for its large plots, which allow homes to be demolished and rebuilt. When a lift shaft sprang a leak, the site manager said that if it had been any worse, he would have thrown myself into the Thames, because this would have delayed the project. To help ensure your car lift installation job is a smooth, and hassle-free process, we will pair you with local Arizona professionals who are qualified and experienced with car lift installation and similar services. So it was better to buy from me at an increased price than to not have them at all and not have any sales. Given Caudwells taste in sparkling, Elton John-like jackets (which are displayed on mannequins in the home), its hardly surprising that theres a more than just a hint of Liberace or Louis XIV about the place. "A big increase from the 10[million] I originally conceived, somewhat naively," he adds. He sold all Caudwell Group BMW company cars and urged other businesses to do the same. The 68-year But it was hard to watch this 68m renovation and feel anything but disgust. He said: I would describe them as leisurely.' You learn very quickly because it costs you torment and trouble." He is a man with huge wealth, but one who still counts the pennies, the boy from Stoke who has set his heart on a home in the old money world of Mayfair. John Caudwell has kindly offered up one of his homes to shelter refugees as Putin's war continues to rage through Ukraine. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. The huge property has a ballroom, 15 bedrooms and eight floors, spanning 43,000 sq feet. Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations. Money can't buy happiness for John Caudwell. We will use this information to make our website and the advertising displayed on it more relevant to your interests. Theres also an Art Deco-inspired, lattice-fronted elevator, a cocktail lounge with low-lit velvet booths and a stage for live music plus an adjoining billiards room with a rose-covered ceiling. That was quite a lot to a 10-year-old those days. On 15 March, he launched 4U Net, a separate company which was Britain's first totally free internet service. After a few years of throwing lavish parties, Caudwell recentlyembarked on an epic-scale renovation that reportedly ran him an astonishing $85 million. Now, through the companies his group owns, he has the biggest UK independent mobile telephony business by some way. "I was looking for anything I deemed 'good value', regardless of size or price," says John during the programme. The privately-held Caudwell Group, in which he has a majority stake, owns a mobile phone empire including the country's biggest mobile phone distribution network, repair service, accessories distributor and independent airtime provider. It is decked out with a personalised cinema, a dining room complete with flowing river and live fish and an indoor car park that is also a "beautiful piece of art". To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Mayfair is one of Londons priciest neighborhoods; for decades, its been an ultra-exclusive enclave of wealthy Arab oil tycoons and celebrity-laden nightclubs. Around the room, shots from iconic films have been superimposed with the faces of John and his family. A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree. "I would knock on those doors until I'd been to every door in the neighbourhood. "I've got this spectacularly perfect house," says John, "If someone spills some red wine on the carpet I'm going to just look away. Today they operate as entirely separate enterprises with no horizontal links or mutually favourable agreements. The master bedroom suite has a huge crystal light finished with a gold leaf trim, plus an emperor-sized bed. There's no ownership issue. Whatissurprising, though, is that the owner of the $300 million-plus property is John Caudwell, an Englishman with working-class roots who made his fortune through the mobile phone company Phones 4U, which he sold for 1.5 billion in 2006. Subscribe to RR1 Live+ for exclusive virtual events all year long (at least 1 per month), conversations with Robb Report editors, special perks, and more. Since I spend all day wandering around London I accurately responded: I would describe them as comfortable.' The house is owned by John Caudwell Speaking about the new series, executive producer Dan Barraclough said: "This incredible access gives us a glimpse "My first thoughts were that there were big margins in this business, but very low volumes, and the volumes would go up and the margins would come down. The philanthropist dad-of-six - who sold Phones4u in 2006 for just under 1.5 billion - had already splashed out 87 million on buying Ancaster House, and the neighbouring property from Prince Jefri Bolkiah, the brother of the Sultan of Brunei. Mr Caudwell has built his businesses up from scratch and, with his brother Brian, a minority investor, is estimated to be worth 300m, placing the duo 85th on The Sunday Times Rich List. His property business, Caudwell, includes some of the most magnificent residences in the world. Sign up for exclusive newsletters, comment on stories, enter competitions and attend events. During the renovation, work on the swimming pool ground to a halt when a malfunction with the lighting meant the team had to lift the panel off the wall. "The big service providers, on the other hand, couldn't get enough stock, because Motorola were supplying people like us because we paid them more for the phones. The Phones4U founder - who grew up in Shelton - has created Britain's most expensive home in Mayfair - and you can see it on TV tonight, Want Stoke-on-Trent news emailed to you direct from our journalists? John Caudwell's 250 million mega-mansion in London's Mayfair boasts massive gold-adorned rooms he jokes only Buckingham Palace can rival. Vera star Brenda Blethyn's private home she lives in for half the year, Pregnant Rihanna's family home with rarely seen son under threat, Joanna Gaines' latest home video sparks fan questions, The Repair Shop's Angelina Bakalarou's home is an oasis of calm, Gwen Stefani shares intimate beach video with Blake Shelton from secluded 1,300-acre ranch, Stacey Solomon's major overhaul at Pickle Cottage weeks after giving birth. Businessman John Caudwell has created Britain's most expensive home in Mayfair it's more than twice the size of the Royal Albert Hall and worth 250 million. That afternoon he rang Motorola for an answer, and they told him he would either have to buy from a dealer, or become a dealer. I wanted to be in the real world." More than a thousand pieces of furniture have been bought for the home at a cost of around 6 million. The "car stacker" is John's favourite toy, as it can take eight cars from street level to storage at the press of a button. The single window has a view over a car park and wasteland near a busy roundabout. His first jobs were, variously, sweeping a pottery floor, manhandling steel ingots in a mill, and working as a nightclub bouncer. "After that I pulled off one deal after another. Enter your password to log in. The group also includes the Phones 4U chain of retail outlets. Is it just a coincidence that these absurd stories come at a time when ministers are drawing up plans for more budget cuts?" Try it outhere. The narrator assured us that Johns motivation to spend so much on the house is in part to attract a better quality of guest to his yearly charity ball, but the charity itself states that the ball brought in 1.5m in donations in 2018. Read our, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}. * Residential & commercial car lift installation services WebAdvantage Lifts is your online home for the most reliable, high-quality residential and commercial auto lifts for sale. But I always do it.". This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The company made a loss every month for the first two years of operations. Now fixed, the lava appears to be moving above the swimming pool. Yet his initial masterplan for life took a long time to start working. Read our, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}. "For the first time I based myself in the mobile phone business, which I hadn't been concentrating on before, and within a month I turned the 1,000 a month loss into a 2,000 a month profit.". According to the Sunday Times Rich List in 2021, John is worth 1.566 billion and is the UK's 103rd wealthiest person. Iconic high street favourite to return after 4 years as shoppers 'can't wait'. The fully-kitted out kitchen with high end Gaggenau appliances. The Mobile Phone Repair Company (MPRC) is in four countries, and Dextra, the accessories company, is following suit. [We may also share this information with third parties for this purpose. These allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. The London property is mainly used for his charity - Caudwell Children, which supports disabled children and their families. Every time I went back to the minibus I had sold my entire allocation, for 5, and I got 1 commission. A stuffy old bloke wearing pin-striped trousers looked me up and down as though I had something rather unpleasant on my shoes. The Sun previously revealed the inside some of Britain's most expensive homes, including a Hollywood-style mansion in Hampstead. At the time of listing, it was the most expensive detached house on the open market in the UK. 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