Which Dragon's Den investor founded the mobile-phone retailer Phones 4u?

John Caudwell founded the mobile-phone retailer Phones 4u, later becoming a Dragon's Den investor.

Caudwell and his brother Brian established the business in the 1980s, initially trading mobile phones from a shop in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Phones 4u expanded into a national chain and became one of Britain's major independent mobile-phone retailers.

The company was sold to the private-equity firm Providence Equity Partners in 2006. Caudwell subsequently became known for philanthropy, especially through the Caudwell Children charity, as well as for his business career.

Phones 4u is often confused with a mobile network operator. It was a retailer that sold phones and contracts from different network providers; it did not operate its own nationwide cellular network. The chain later entered administration in 2014.