John Ilhan facts for kids

John Ilhan was a very successful businessman from Australia. He was born as Mustafa İlhan in Turkey. He started a popular mobile phone shop chain called Crazy John's. In 2003, he was named the richest Australian person under 40 years old.

Early Life and Starting a Business

John Ilhan was born in 1965 in Yozgat, Turkey. When he was five years old, his family moved to Australia. He grew up in Broadmeadows, a suburb in Melbourne.

He went to Jacana Primary School and then Broadmeadows High School. At primary school, he enjoyed playing sports like football, soccer, and basketball.

After a short time at university, John worked as a salesman for Ford. Later, he sold phones and electronics at a store called Strathfield Car Radio. In 1991, he decided to open his own mobile phone shop. He set it up right across the street from his old job in Brunswick.

His business grew quickly. It became the biggest Telstra mobile phone dealer in Australia. He started with 18 stores in Victoria, then opened more shops in Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide.

Personal Life and Helping Others

John Ilhan was a big fan of the Richmond Football Club, an Australian Rules Football team. He even tried to help the team improve by offering to buy out a coach's contract.

Wealth and Giving Back

In 2003, John Ilhan was ranked first on Business Review Weekly's Australia's Young Rich List. He had a net worth of about A$200 million. By 2007, his wealth had grown to A$310 million, making him the 126th richest person in Australia.

With so much success, John wanted to help others. He became a philanthropist, which means he gave a lot of his money to charity. He was known as one of Australia's most generous people. He regularly donated to many different charities.

In 2006, John started the Ilhan Food Allergy Foundation. He was inspired because his own daughter had a severe allergy to peanuts. He gave A$1 million to start this foundation. Its goal is to support research and teach people about anaphylaxis and food allergies. The foundation helped many groups, including the Richmond Football Club, Kids Under Cover, and medical research centers like The Alfred Hospital and Murdoch Children's Research Institute.

His Passing

John Ilhan passed away on 23 October 2007, at the age of 42. He was on a morning walk in Brighton, Melbourne. Doctors first thought it was a heart attack. However, an autopsy later showed he had a heart condition that ran in his family. His older brother had also died from the same condition.

John was survived by his wife, Patricia, and their four children. His funeral was held at the Broadmeadows Mosque. About 3,000 people attended, including well-known figures like Ahmed Fahour and Eddie McGuire.