Which UK Dragon’s Den investor founded the electronics retailer Phones 4u?

John Caudwell founded the electronics retailer Phones 4u.

Caudwell established the business in 1994 with his brother Brian Caudwell. Phones 4u grew into a major UK mobile-phone retailer, operating shops and selling contracts and handsets from different network providers. The company’s rapid expansion made Caudwell a prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist.

John Caudwell appeared as a Dragon on the UK programme for a limited period. His business background differed from that of investors who built careers in fashion, food or manufacturing, because his wealth was primarily associated with the mobile-communications retail market.

Phones 4u later entered administration in 2014 after major network operators stopped supplying the retailer. That collapse occurred years after Caudwell had sold his stake, so it should not be confused with the period in which he built the business. Caudwell subsequently became especially associated with the Caudwell Children charity.