My second business would have succeeded but for competitors'

John Caudwell, a man who rose from humble beginnings to found one of the great fortunes of modern enterprise, once declared: “My second business would have succeeded but for competitors' jealousy. I was selling motorbike gear cheap, but the people I was undercutting complained to the manufacturer and cut off my supply. It showed me how corrupt business can be. When I sold phones, the same thing happened, but this time I was ready.” These words, though spoken of commerce, ring with timeless wisdom about human ambition, rivalry, and resilience. For what is business, if not a battlefield of desire, where men struggle not only against hardship but against the envy of others?

The heart of his teaching lies in the destructive power of jealousy. His rivals, threatened not by dishonor but by his success, struck not with open competition but with schemes. They could not outwork him, so they sought to cut him off at the root. This is the nature of envy: it does not inspire growth, but seeks to choke growth in others. Caudwell’s early defeat revealed to him that the world of commerce, like the world of politics and empire, is often shadowed by corruption—those who fear being surpassed will not always fight fair.

The ancients themselves knew this pattern well. Consider the story of Julius Caesar, whose rise inspired not admiration among his peers but envy. Senators, unable to match his greatness, plotted to strike him down not in the open field of battle, but with daggers in the Senate chamber. So too with Caudwell: his rivals, rather than meeting him in the marketplace with better goods or fairer prices, conspired to cut off his supply. In both tales, jealousy proved to be not the fire of healthy rivalry, but the poison of treachery.

Yet Caudwell’s words also reveal the strength of wisdom gained through hardship. He confesses that in his second business, he was unprepared, and so he fell. But he did not remain fallen. When he turned to selling phones, the same weapons were used against him—but this time he had armored himself with foresight. He had learned that success is not only in building, but in guarding against the envy and schemes that success provokes. Thus his second defeat became the seed of his ultimate triumph.

The meaning here is heroic: that those who aspire to greatness must not only labor with skill but endure with resilience. The world is not a level field, and many will seek to strike you down simply because your light shines brighter than theirs. To lament this truth is natural, but to prepare for it is wisdom. Caudwell’s story is not one of bitterness but of readiness. He shows us that while jealousy may wound us once, it should never wound us twice. Experience must be turned into vigilance, and betrayal into strength.

Consider also the story of Thomas Edison, whose inventions were often met with fierce opposition. Competitors tried lawsuits, bribes, and sabotage. Yet Edison learned, adapted, and built empires despite their envy. Like Caudwell, he discovered that greatness demands not only innovation but resilience against those who envy innovation. The lesson is the same across centuries: those who dare to excel must also dare to withstand the malice of envy.

The lesson for us, therefore, is clear. Expect jealousy when you succeed; do not be surprised when others seek to undercut or betray. But let this not dishearten you. Instead, prepare yourself—diversify your strength, guard your resources, and cultivate allies who cannot easily be swayed by rivals. Learn from each setback, so that when the same storm comes again, you are ready.

Practical wisdom follows: if you are betrayed, do not let it make you bitter—let it make you wiser. Study the weaknesses that allowed envy to harm you once, and fortify them. Build your success not only on talent but on strategy, not only on vision but on resilience. For envy may always shadow success, but the prepared soul turns that shadow into fuel. And thus, as Caudwell teaches, you will one day stand not as the defeated, but as the triumphant, ready for whatever the jealous may conspire against you.