radio contract (initially Larkspur, later part of Clansman) which secured the future of Racal The merger between Racal and British Communications Corporation, that bolstered Racal's radio business Buying Decca Radar in 1980 against competition from GEC, the rival British company led by Lord Weinstock Buying the British Rail Telecommunications network, to form the basis of Racal Telecom Creating and spinning-out the Vodafone mobile phone network Stopping a proposed takeover by Williams Holdings by demerging Chubb Investing in National Lottery company Camelot Group Selling Racal Telecom to Global Crossing Selling Racal's remaining defence and industrial electronics divisions to Thomson-CSF of France for £1.8 billion Under Harrison, £1,000 invested in Racal in 1961 would have been worth £14.5million when he retired in 2000. Harrison received an estimated £25 million from the sale of Racal in 2000, and is estimated to have died with an accumulated total wealth of £40 million. Decca Radar In 1979, Racal bought Decca Radar forming Racal-Decca. Racal-Datacom conducted business in the United States. Vodafone In 1980, Harrison agreed a deal with Lord Weinstock of the General Electric Company to allow Racal to access some of GEC's tactical battlefield radio technology. Briefing the head of Racal's military radio division, Gerry Whent, to drive the company into commercial mobile radio, Whent visited GE's factory in Virginia, USA in 1980. In 1982, Racal's newly formed subsidiary Racal Strategic Radio Ltd, under Whent, won one of the first two UK cellular telephone network licences; the other going to British Telecom. The network, known as Racal Vodafone, was 80% owned by Racal, with Millicom having 15% and the Hambros Technology Trust 5%. Vodafone was launched on 1 January 1985. Racal Strategic Radio was renamed Racal Telecommunications Group Limited in 1985. On 29 December 1986, Racal Electronics bought out the minority shareholders of Vodafone for £110 million. In 1988, 20% of Racal Telecom was floated on the London Stock Exchange. This would lead to the situation where Racal Electronics was valued at less than its shareholding in Racal Telecom. Harrison demerged Racal Telecom in October 1991, forcing a positive valuation on the rest of Racal (colloquially known in the City of London as "the rump"). Vodafone would later become the largest mobile network in the world and the highest valued company on the FTSE 100. Immediately following the demerger, Williams Holdings launched a takeover bid for Racal. The bid, valued at £740m, failed. Racal