How to age well: biking billionaire John Caudwell, 71, steers clear of sugar, sneaks KFC

Property tycoon John Caudwell met his former Olympic cyclist partner while riding; he explains how he has the energy of a man half his age

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John Caudwell in his Mayfair residence in London. The British property tycoon describes how he stays fit and vital at the age of 71. A keen cyclist, on June 22 he tackles the 280km Chase the Sun race in Italy. Photo: John Caudwell

Tara Loader Wilkinson

Published: 4:15pm, 22 Jun 2024Updated: 7:54pm, 22 Jun 2024

If you were a billionaire, what would you eat on your “cheat day”?

English property tycoon John Caudwell’s “guilty pleasure” is a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) hot wings, the ones fried in double-breaded coating. He does not feel guilty when eating it, though; he enjoys every mouthful.

“When I go bad, I go terrible. Of course KFC is disastrous for your health, it’s trans-fats, non-organic chicken, breadcrumbs … but I don’t feel guilty because I don’t have it more than once a month – I say sod it, I love it.”

With the exception of this occasional departure, the billionaire philanthropist, now aged 71 and a father of seven, is a paragon of health and fitness, with the energy of a man half his age.

Caudwell in front of his development Le Provençal on the French Riviera. Photo: John Caudwell

Famous for his outspoken views on politics and business – and his flamboyant jackets – the founder of former mobile phone company Phones4U is just as opinionated on health and wellness.

“Carbohydrates cause disaster,” he says, basing this view on the glycemic index (GI) scale which measures the rate at which a food makes your blood sugar rise.