Craig McCaw: A Look at His Net Worth

Entrepreneur Craig McCaw, born on August 11, 1949, in Centralia, Washington, USA, made a name for himself as the founder of McCaw Cellular Communications in 1987, which was later integrated into AT&T Mobility. McCaw also owned Clearwire Corporation, a mobile and fixed wireless broadband communications service company, from 2003 to its closure in 2013. His

Craig McCaw’s wealth is estimated at $1.79 Billion

The Biography of Craig McCaw

Entrepreneur Craig McCaw, born on August 11, 1949, in Centralia, Washington, USA, made a name for himself as the founder of McCaw Cellular Communications in 1987, which was later integrated into AT&T Mobility. McCaw also owned Clearwire Corporation, a mobile and fixed wireless broadband communications service company, from 2003 to its closure in 2013. His career began to take shape in the 1980s.

By mid-2017, Craig McCaw was estimated to have amassed a net worth of $1.8 billion through his successful business ventures.

Net Worth: $1.79 Billion

Craig is the son of John Elroy McCaw and Marion. His father, John Elroy, was involved in the broadcasting business, initially owning Gotham Broadcasting Corporation. He bought and sold radio and TV stations, gradually expanding his broadcasting empire. However, he faced significant losses, leaving only one cable company at the time of his death. This company was passed on to Craig while he was still in college, and from there, he began building his own empire. With a modest base of 4,000 subscribers, he expanded to five million.

He obtained a cellular license through a lottery held by the FCC and expanded his business by acquiring permits and licenses from other lottery winners, emerging as a pioneer in the US cellular phone industry. After McCaw Cellular’s initial success, he caught the attention of other cellular companies, leading to its eventual merger with AT&T in 1994. The same year, AT&T purchased McCaw Cellular in its entirety for $11.5 billion, creating AT&T Wireless Group.

Following the sale of McCaw Cellular, Craig invested in Nextel and, alongside his brother, transformed it from a struggling company into a highly regarded wireless provider with approximately 3.6 million customers across the USA. This success significantly boosted Craig’s net worth. Concurrently, he founded another company, Nextel Partners, Inc., which was later acquired by Sprint Nextel, Inc. In 2005, Sprint Corporation and Nextel were merged in a deal worth $36 billion.

Craig’s ventures also extended into the political arena, as he supported several Republican candidates, including Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, and George W. Bush. He also served on the boards of organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, and the Academy of Achievement, among others.

On a personal note, Craig has been married to Susan Rasinski McCaw since 1998, and they have three children. Prior to that, he was married to Wendy Petrak, with whom he parted ways in 1997.

Together with his wife Susan, Craig established The Craig and Susan McCaw Foundation, through which they have contributed to numerous philanthropic causes, including education, environmental preservation, and international economic development projects. Craig was also involved in the Free Willy Foundation, donating $2 million.

  • Structural Info
Net Worth$1.79 Billion
Date Of BirthAugust 11, 1949
Place Of BirthCentralia, Washington, United States
ProfessionBusinessman
EducationStanford University, Lakeside School
NationalityAmerican
SpouseSusan McCaw
SiblingsJohn McCaw, Jr., Bruce McCaw, Keith McCaw
IMDB

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