John Caudwell was the founder of the telecommunications company Phones 4u.
Caudwell and his brother Brian established Caudwell Group, which became a major player in the United Kingdom’s mobile-phone retail and distribution market. Phones 4u grew as a high-street retailer selling mobile phones and contracts from multiple network providers.
The business became particularly prominent during the rapid expansion of mobile-phone ownership in the 1990s and early 2000s. Its retail model allowed customers to compare handsets, tariffs and networks in one place.
John Caudwell later became associated with philanthropy through the Caudwell Children charity. He is sometimes remembered as a Dragon's Den investor, but his principal business fame came from telecommunications rather than from a long regular run on the programme.