John Ilhan has achieved more at 42 than most would in a lifetime, but as Joanne McCulloch finds out, he is only just getting started.

Fact File

  • John Ilhan started with $1000 in 1991, by 2005 he had 500,000 customers.
  • Eddie McGuire sang the original company jingle.
  • Ilhan plans to turn the company into a $1bn company and take on Telstra head-to-head

 

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John Ilhan - Mad Millions

John Ilhan has achieved more at 42 than most would in a lifetime, but as Joanne McCulloch finds out, he is only just getting started.

 

 

John Ilhan - Mad Millions

John Ilhan - Mad MillionsJohn Ilhan has achieved more at 42 than most would in a lifetime, but as Joanne McCulloch finds out, he is only just getting started. John Ilhan, the founder and chief of Crazy John’s mobile phones, is the epitome of a $100m Club success story. With just $1000 in the bank and no management training he set up what has become the country’s second largest mobile phone dealership.

Within 10 years he earned the title of Australia’s richest man under 40 and today has an estimated worth of more than $300m.

With all this under his belt, you’d think the 42-year-old would be looking to quieten down a little. Well, think again. Ilhan says he’s only just getting started.

With Crazy John’s dealership contract with Telstra having just come to an end on July 1, he has set the company up as its own mobile virtual network operator. In essence, this means he no longer has to answer to - and pass on customers to - Telstra or any other third party. He can run Crazy John’s however he likes in terms of marketing, advertising, expansion and product selection. And no longer a dealership to Telstra, he has his own customers for the first time.

 

Read the full article in the current issue of Wealth Creator with Mark Bouris on the front cover. Out Now!