Guy Johnson (businessman)
Guy Johnson is an English businessman, the former third business partner in Carphone Warehouse. Described by one City analyst as "the Ringo Starr of Carphone Warehouse" for being in the right place at the right time,[1] His is estimated to have a fortune of £156million, ranking him 546 in the Sunday Times Rich List of 2008.[2]
After the business was founded by Charles Dunstone with £6,000 savings, he asked Chartered Accountant David Ross to join him as the second partner. Johnson, a former customer of Dunstone's at NEC UK,[3] became the third partner when he joined the fledgling business, taking up the role of Logistics and Distribution director. When Ross lead the IPO of Carphone Warehouse in 2000, it had been so successful that the partners had not needed to borrow or involve outsiders: Dunstone owned half, Ross a third, and Johnson most of the rest.[4]
However, only Johnson of the three partners had a family, and having according to media reports becoming less enamoured by the Ross-led European expansion of the organisation,[5] sold the majority of his stake in 2001 and retired with his young family to his holiday home in Portugal.[3] He now lives with his family in Kent.
References
- ↑ Wray, Richard (2001-07-13). "Founder exits 'back seat' at Carphone Warehouse". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
- ↑ "Guy Johnson". London: Sunday Times. 2008-04-27. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
- 1 2 Cope, Nigel (2001-07-13). "Carphone Warehouse founder quits while he's (£140m) ahead". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
- ↑ Sabbagh, Dan (2008-12-09). "David Ross: glitz and glamour of the upper-class 'barrow boy' with all the right connections". London: The Times. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
- ↑ Ramnarayan, Abhinav (2008-12-08). "Profile: David Ross". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-12-08.