John Caudwell is one of Britain's wealthiest, most successful – and most colourful – businessmen. John was just six years old when he made a promise to himself that he would make enough money to give huge sums of it away to help his family and others who were struggling with poverty.Born in a terraced house in Stoke-on-Trent, Caudwell went from bullied child to insecure trainee engineer at a local Michelin plant to self-made billionaire, befriending Sir Elton John, Eva Longoria, Hugh Grant and Robbie Williams, who have all taken part in his charity balls to raise money for Caudwell Children.It was at a car auction in 1987, the height of Mrs Thatcher's booming Britain,that he spotted the future. A mobile phone that came in an unwieldy suitcase. Within two decades Caudwell sold his Phones 4u business for £1.46 billion.Love, Pain & Money: The Making of a Billionaire retraces the inspirational journey, from the very shaky beginnings of his phone empire to owning yachts, private planes, a fleet of top flight cars, a Jacobean mansion in the Midlands and London's most expensive home (featured in a Channel 4 documentary). It's a fascinating insight into the drive, ambition, focus and vision required to become a billionaire.It is also a very British story. Caudwell is a man who – despite his vast wealth – still knows the price of a pint of milk, buys his clothes from Marks & Spencer and despite having swapped the Michelin plant for Michelin-starred restaurants and hotels, can often be found in a roadside B&B, eating home-made sandwiches after one of his many cycling expeditions.And it is more than merely a rags to riches story. It is a tale of battling endless career misfortunes and overcoming a series of personal tragedies to rise to the top. Failure, disaster and horrendous private heartbreaks are all part of this tale of a troubled child who never won the approval of his father who died when John was a teenager.Love, Pain & Money – The Making of a Billionaire is a tale of our times, full of humour, grit, lessons in business and an understanding of what it takes to succeed against all odds.
