Early Life
Craig McCaw was born in Centralia, Washington, on August 11, 1949. He is the second of four sons to J. Elroy McCaw, a broadcasting magnate. McCaw's early life was marked by a move to the Highlands community north of Seattle. He attended Lakeside School, and later Stanford University where he studied history.
Rise to Success
McCaw's career began in the cable television industry, taking over his father's small cable company after his father's death. While at Stanford, he rebuilt the family's business. He used the cash flows from his growing cable company to purchase other remote cable companies, resulting in a profitable conglomerate. However, McCaw recognized the potential of the emerging cellular phone industry. He sold his cable company in 1987 to focus on wireless. McCaw Cellular Communications was established and expanded through strategic acquisitions, including the purchase of MCI's cellular wing in 1986 and LIN Broadcasting in 1989. McCaw Cellular became the largest non-wireline cellular provider. In 1994, McCaw sold McCaw Cellular to AT&T for $11.5 billion.
Key Business Strategies
McCaw's business strategies included a focus on acquiring cellular licenses, aggressive expansion, and technological innovation. He secured licenses in major U.S. markets early on. He also pioneered national roaming services under the Cellular One brand. Following the sale of McCaw Cellular, McCaw invested in Nextel and later founded Clearwire Corporation, a wireless broadband company, in 2004.
Philanthropy
Craig McCaw has been involved in philanthropy. He co-founded the Craig and Susan McCaw Foundation in 1999, which later became the COM Family Foundation. The foundation supports educational, environmental, and international economic development projects. McCaw has also served on the boards of various philanthropic organizations, including Conservation International and the Free Willy Keiko Foundation.
