Helping people is a great privilege, not a burden'

British billionaire philanthropist John Caudwell talks to OK! from his superyacht in Monaco about leaving a lasting legacy-and living a "normal" family life

- MITYA UNDERWOOD

On the day we catch up with billionaire John Caudwell, he’s celebrating his 72nd birthday on board his luxury superyacht Titania, docked in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Joined by his partner of 10 years, former Olympic cyclist Modesta Vžesniauskaitė, 41, and their two young children, it’s a rare pause for the normally difficult-to-pin-down philanthropist.

So, is it tricky to buy a present for one of the world’s richest men? “Yes, because I’m extremely critical,” John laughs. “But I don’t want anything that costs money, I like emotionally important things, that money can’t buy.

“Modesta and [son] William cooked bacon and eggs for me this morning with a big strawberry birthday cake. I also got some nice slip-on shoes. But the most important thing was a photograph album, full of beautiful photos of our lives – she got the kids to join in and do some kiddie designs on them. It was lovely to look through.”

According to The Sunday Times Rich List, John is the 109th richest person in Britain, worth £1.54 billion. But the father-of-seven – who welcomed his youngest child last year – is the definition of self-made. Born in Birmingham and raised in Stoke-on-Trent, he began his career as an apprentice at the Michelin tyre company before setting up what became Phones 4U with his brother, Brian. In 2006, they sold it for £1.46 billion.

Today, John is considered one of the UK’s most charitable men, running Caudwell Children, for disabled children, and the mentoring charity Caudwell Youth with Modesta. As he puts it, “There’s absolutely no value in wealth if you don’t do something with it that’s meaningful.”

He is one of around 250 billionaires worldwide to sign The Giving Pledge – a promise to give away more than half of one’s wealth to charitable causes, before or after death. Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Richard Branson are also among the signatories.