I believe in sink or swim, and if one of my companies can't survive on its own, then another company shouldn't prop it up, especially at the expense of my own customers.". Officers in the West Midlands say cuts mean they can't afford sirens on their cars, so they can "only chase criminals within the speed limit". "It's one of my favourite rooms in the house and it was sort of my creation," Jon said. I just thought how magnificent it would be for gala evenings, Caudwell toldThe Timesof London about the ballroom. This enables us to personalise our content for you, greet you by name and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of language or region). To wind down away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the property boasts an indoor pool with a volcanic lava installation. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. As well as his Mayfair pad, Mr Caudwell also owns the 50-room 12 million Jacobean Broughton Hall in Eccleshall which was burgled in 2010 with the raiders His property business, Caudwell, includes some of the most magnificent residences in the world. Around four years ago, John decided to embark on a total renovation of what was, he says, a "tasteless gold palace". John is passionate about property. "Are the police having us on?" 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John Caudwell's main residence is a 12-bedroom country house in Staffordshire and, along with other homes around the world, he also owns a 73-metre yacht which he bought at auction for the bargain price of 35 million. It's just an instinct, I know that's the way to do it." Web* Fast and affordable car lift installation services, including home and property jobs like repairs, installation, maintenance, and inspection * Connect with the best local, qualified Britains Most Expensive Home: Building for a Billionaire-in pictures, Watch your step: on the third floor, a river with handpicked African Cichlid fish flows through the Thai-style dining room, Beauty in the basement: on the wall behind a 40-foot swimming pool is a volcanic lava installation which cost 200,000, Cavernous space: the ballroom is said to be the largest private ballroom in London after Buckingham Palace, You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number, I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. PHONES4U billionaire John Caudwell has shown off Britains most expensive home worth 250million after he merged two mansions together. Other features you might not expect to find in this historic London enclave include a Thai-themed dining room John's favourite food with a river flowing through its centre filled with handpicked African Cichlid fish, all set beneath a preserved 15-foot cherry tree adorned with pink silk blossom. Its just jaw dropping.. And John Caudwell has plans. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. These cookies record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited and the links you have followed. phoenix. * Fast and affordable car lift installation services, including home and property jobs like repairs, installation, maintenance, and inspection "All of a sudden, the phone manager left and the key car salesmen found other jobs, so I had to restructure the business," he says. When people said, 'Go away', I'd be thinking, what can I say to the next one? 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. 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. He says he became convinced of the profit-making potential of the retail side only recently, though in typical fashion he is expanding the business rapidly, with a further 70 shops to open this year. The documentary will take a look at the unique engineering tasks and challenges to create a subterranean basement that joins two mansions together, a mechanical car stacker that can take eight cars from street level to storage with ease, a pool with a bespoke installation designed to look like lava and even a dining room featuring a real river - complete with live fish. 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. The reception room is a cosy walnut clad room adorned with jackets designed by the home's owner billionaire businessman John Caudwell. 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. Which equates to three underfloor garage frames. "So I bought it, I think it was 87million.". He wasnt hugely interested in living in it, though, intending to mainly hold meetings and charity balls at the townhouse mansion once work on it was completed. refresh results with search filters open search menu. 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". 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. Design Star Hendifar on Sketching, Finding Calm, and His Favorite Cartier Watch, This Mobile Safari Tent Unfolds Into a Luxe Sleeper No Matter Where You Camp, 5 Stylish Outdoor Rocking Chairs for Relaxing All Summer Long, The 15 Best Fire Pits to Make Your Backyard Even Cozier, The house contains 15 bedrooms on eight floors, three of which are subterranean, 20,000 sheets of gold leaf were used in the interior, An underground car stacker system can hold up to eight vehicles, A total of 343,082 cubic feet of earth was excavated to accommodate geothermal heating and cooling amidst other subterranean delights, There is a river in the dining room which is 16.5 inches deep populated with African cichlid fish. 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. He said: I would describe them as leisurely.' From offering you easier car maintenance to additional vehicle storage, a home garage car lift is a dream for every But it wasn't something on my shoes it was my shoes he found unpleasant. The Mobile Phone Repair Company (MPRC) is in four countries, and Dextra, the accessories company, is following suit. 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. The experience was fundamental. With his brother Brian, in 1987 John registered Midland Mobile Phones as a mobile phone wholesaler taking 26 Motorola mobiles at 1,350 each. So it comes as no big shock that what is quite likely Britains most expensive home is located in the posh neighborhood. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Known as Mayfair house, Caudwells roughly 43,000 sq. Ironically, the 62-year-old set up a charity tohelp sick and disabled children 15 yearsago, often funding specialist treatment that is beyond NHS budgets. John has covered the walls with photos of his family members recreating snaps of Hollywood royalty in iconic poses, including the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. His family was brought up in poverty in a terraced house in Stoke. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. It is popular with the super rich for its large plots, which allow homes to be demolished and rebuilt. And, to be fair, Persson, who is no fool, readily admits his plight is unlikely to win him much sympathy. It is often his preferred spot to host his charity events for his foundation, Caudwell Children, which supports disabled children and their families. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. After initial promise in the entrepreneur's club, the young Caudwell became somewhat bogged down. Far from taking away my ability to give to charity, it increases it because it has increased my wealth significantly. 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. Inside, senior designer Jenny explains that gold leaf is being installed in the master bedroom. "When I do the first charity party, maybe with 80 or 90 people in that ballroom, and we raise a load of money for Caudwell Children, I will enjoy that more than anything else I could ever do in my life," says owner John. I think this is true. "Last weekend was pretty tiring," he says. I'm confident we will be one of the biggest mobile telecommunications companies in the world. The Channel 4 team join the build for its final stages: a point when the project - which has already run over on time - is 55 million over budget, too. Julie Neville shares an exclusive access-all-areas tour of her incredible family home, Gogglebox stars Mary and Giles share shocking revelation about Wiltshire home amid relocation reports. But Fatal Attraction didn't need a remake, FA launches probe into Jurgen Klopp's altercation with referee Paul Tierney, Billions spent on unproven carbon capture could instead save households 9,000 each, Do not sell or share my personal information. Inside Britain's most expensive home: a 250m mega-mansion in Mayfair. Customise cookies or read more in our Cookie Policy. PHONES4U billionaire John Caudwell has shown off Britains most expensive home worth 250million after he merged two mansions together. Inside Britain's most expensive home: Phones 4u tycoon John John Caudwell For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, The sprawling 250million mansion is owned by Phones 4 U founder John Caudwell, Britains Most Expensive Home John Caudwell, Credit: (Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way) CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLIC, The stunning swimming pool has a lava volcano theme, The property is in Mayfair and has its own bar, The majestic ballroom was left pretty much untouched by John during renovations, John lives in the pad with his wife Modesta Vesniauskait and their six-month-old son, William, It's a billionaire's paradise with its own bar and cinema, The spa room even has a sunken jacuzzi to relax in, One of the mega-mansions luxurious bedrooms, John's extravagant home cinema is now adorned with snaps of his family recreating film stars famous poses, The plush games room is the perfect place for entertaining, Tinie Tempah shocked as Extraordinary Extensions developer spends 11million transforming basement, inside some of Britain's most expensive homes, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). asks Carole Malone inthe Sunday Mirror. Five crystal chandeliers stretch up over four floors to transform the staircases. The Phones 4 U founder knocked together two mansions to create his dream home, which is the average size of 55 London flats and more than twice the size of the Royal Albert Hall. The property was purchased from a Channel Islands trust that linked to Jefri Bolkiah, the unfathomably rich and famously profligate younger brother of the Sultan of Brunei. Plus, get the exclusive Robb Report tote bag FREE. In the early Nineties, he developed his strategy of wanting to be in "every single aspect of mobile telephones that it was possible to get into". "Little did I know back then I'd have a child in the same situation. More than a thousand pieces of furniture have been bought for the home at a cost of around 6 million. Broughton Hall, Staffordshire Barbara Cartland's former Mayfair home for sale for 40 "If you think having money means that life is going to be fantastic all the time, that you can move from one wonderful thing to the next, then you need to recalibrate," he says. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. And oh, what a journey it was. Inside John Caudwell's 250m mega Mayfair mansion "I opened a shop so we could retail them, did accessories, and basically, every opportunity within the mobile phone business we took.". He will use his Mayfair home when he needs to be in London, but he has created zones within the house that can be used for his charitable foundation, Caudwell Children, which supports disabled children and their families. Both buildings form a single site and are linked at the basement level. Mr Caudwell, an outspoken Thatcherite, is passionate about that, saying cross-subsidising firms is as bad for a corporation as state-subsidised industry is for a national economy. It was not an obvious route to wealth, and seven years later Midland Garages, as his dealership was called, had a staff of seven and did a fair, though not particularly lucrative turnover. Billionaire businessman John Caudwell bought Audley Street garage and the surrounding buildings in Mayfair for around 155 million in 2011. So we've got to give them fixed wire propositions, mobile phone propositions, pay-TV propositions, internet propositions, so they get a complete package from us for all they need, and we'll send them one bill, which makes them happier and cuts our administration costs. John Caudwell, 57, founder of Phones 4U, sold the company along with 20:20 Distribution in September 2006 for a combined sum of 1.64bn. He sometimes registers a "one or two" on the happiness scale when he "should be a nine" out of ten, he tells The Daily Telegraph's Peter Stanford. His office is a smallish room carpeted with Wilton (white diamonds on a claret background) and lined by posh striped magnolia wallpaper. Caudwells TAKE a look inside John Caudwell's extravagant mansion that's Britain's most expensive home. The ballroom is said to be the largest private ballroom in London after Buckingham Palace. Now we've got 30,000 customers on 4U net.". "With a saturated market it's all about value and customer loyalty, and this way I'll gain loyalty for the other businesses. Get the Robb Report newsletter for similar stories delivered straight to your inbox. "But there's a wrinkle or two with their service, which we don't have. The Phones4U founder - who grew up in Shelton - spent 65 million and four years renovating the property in one of the world's most exclusive postcodes. So could he see that the future for mobile telephony was so bright? 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Sylvester Stallone Snaps Up a $35 Million Palm Beach Estate, Marc Anthony Lists His Massive Waterfront Florida Mansion for $27 Million, Tommy Hilfiger Lists His Regal Connecticut Estate for $47.5 Million, From Bulgari to Porsche: Branded Residences Are Flooding the Prime Marketand Selling. "I arrived first. Like this article? The philanthropist, who gives back 70% of his fortune for good causes, will use the home as a entertaining and business address for his charitable projects. I was only looking for a little pad in London! "The secret is to cut the margins down, add value the customer can really see, run it in a very efficient way and let the customer loyalty be the most important thing of all. You learn very quickly because it costs you torment and trouble." ", Mr Caudwell hired a manager to run the mobile business out of a backroom in the car dealership, and a year later it was still running at a loss of around 1,000 a month. Subscribe now and get up to 61% off the cover price. Last year, the most expensive detached home on the market was a secluded Hollywood-style mansion near Hampstead Heath, which was listed for 40 million. This extraordinary home has been carved out of two mega mansions in the heart of Mayfair. Affordable Car Lift Installation in the Arizona area It's just an instinct, I know that's the way to do it.". Read our, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}. Featuring a variety of single post, 2-post, and 4-post car he renovation of an extraordinary home carved out of two mega mansions in the heart of Mayfair has been featured in a one-off documentary, Britains Most Take a sneak peek at the incredible renovation here With the incredible house, John aimed to create one of the most lavish homes to be renovated in the UK. Britains Most Expensive Home: Building For a Billionaire, a one-off documentary on Channel 4, followed the highs and lows of his renovation journey. He used 20,000 sheets of gold leaf throughout the property's opulent interiors. At the time of listing, it was the most expensive detached house on the open market in the UK. MSMR successfully secured planning consent for the sensitive redevelopment of two adjoining listed buildings located in the Mayfair Conservation Area. WebInside John Caudwell's home - Billionaire's 250 million mansion tour | OK! The renovation of an extraordinary home carved out of two mega mansions in the heart of Mayfair is to be featured in a one-off documentary on Channel 4 tonight. "A big increase from the 10[million] I originally conceived, somewhat naively," he adds. Rufus, a 20-year-old musician the youngest of his three children with his first wife was finally, after years of problems, diagnosed with Lyme disease in February. With the work now finished, it is estimated to be worth around 250 million. Caudwell added: "Although refugees will benefit from the safety and shelter I can provide, I suspect the experience will be unique, humbling and deeply enriching for me as well. "I got a retrospective rebate from Motorola if I bought a lot of product. I'd only done it once in real life', Lizzy Caplan: 'There's so much dark, f***ed-up, wild shit that comes with motherhood', Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story has more to say about Meghan Markle than any stuffy doc, Jerry Springer apologised for ruining the culture. On 15 March, he launched 4U Net, a separate company which was Britain's first totally free internet service. "Yes, that'd be right," he replies with a smile. Chrissy Teigen shows off her super-tidy pantry and even Marie Kondo is impressed! Inside Birmingham billionaire's mansion after 65m renovation Read our, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}. 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